Historical & Cultural Landmarks in Brazil

Brasília is the federal capital of Brazil and seat of government of the Federal District. Laid out along an east-west axis crossed by a north-south axis, curved to follow the topography as a transportation thoroughfare, Brasília is a definitive example of 20th century modernist urbanism.

The 17th-century core of this historic town, founded by the French and occupied by the Dutch before coming under Portuguese rule, has preserved the original rectangular street plan. A number of fine historic buildings have survived, making this an outstanding example of an Iberian colonial town.

The town of Diamantina rises up the side of a steep valley with streets that follow the natural topography. Its Historic Center recalls the exploits of diamond prospectors in the 18th century and is a well-preserved example of Brazilian Baroque architecture.

Founded in the 16th century by the Portuguese, Olinda’s history is linked to the sugarcane industry. Rebuilt by the Portuguese after being looted and burned by the Dutch, the harmonious balance between the buildings, gardens, churches, convents and chapels all contribute to the town's charm.

Founded at the end of the 17th century, Ouro Preto was the focal point of the gold rush and Brazil’s golden age in the 18th century. With the exhaustion of the gold mines in the 19th century, the city’s influence declined but many churches, bridges and fountains remain as a testimony to its past prosperity.

The ruins of São Miguel das Missões in Brazil and those of San Ignacio Miní, Santa Ana, Nuestra Señora de Loreto and Santa María la Mayor in Argentina, lie at the heart of a tropical forest. They are the remains of five Jesuit missions, built in the land of the Guaranis during the 17th and 18th centuries.

The Pampulha Modern Ensemble was the center of a visionary garden city project created in 1940 in Belo Horizonte. Designed by architect Oscar Niemeyer around an artificial lake, this cultural and leisure center included a casino, a ballroom, the Golf Yacht Club and the São Francisco de Assis church.

Located between the Serra da Bocaina mountain range and the Atlantic Ocean, this cultural and natural landscape includes the historic center of Paraty, the island of Ilha Grande as well as four protected natural areas of the Atlantic Forest, one of the world's key biodiversity hotspots.

Founded by the Portuguese in 1549 as the first capital of Brazil, Salvador de Bahia is one of the oldest colonial cities in the Americas. The Historic Center is distinguished by its religious, civil and military colonial architecture dating from the 17th to the 19th centuries.

The sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Congonhas in Minas Gerais, Brazil, consists of a church with a Rococo interior, an outdoor stairway decorated with statues of the prophets and seven chapels illustrating the Stations of the Cross, which are masterpieces of a highly original form of Baroque art.