Rio de Janeiro is part of the SOUTH EAST REGION which includes three more states of Brazil, and they are São Paulo, Espirito Santo and Minas Gerais.
Historically speaking, these region was have been the more developed and important region of the country since our discovery!!!
Between the 1600s and 1700s, the portuguese had found great sources of Gold and other precious metal, including DIAMONDS.
Quickly these regions became big urban centers and the great source of metals to Europe since 1500s, 1600s, 1700s and late 1800s...
Nowadays we, Brazilians, are very proud of this heritage and these places were sites of great moments in our History.
Tiradentes is one of the most famous and most important historical cities in Brazil after Ouro Preto, Mariana, São João del Rey and Sabará. In the coast we also have very important historical towns of Paraty, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Recife, Olinda and São Luis, lots to discover in these destinations!
But this weekend I took the chance to take my guests Linda and Les from Steam Boat Springs in Colorado to visit Ouro Preto and in my way back to Rio, as I met my Mother and Marcone also in Ouro Preto; I made a quick stop in Tiradentes with my mother Stella.
We spent the afternoon in my very favorite historical town in Minas...
TIRADENTES HAS INCREDIBLE BARROC CHURCHES, ENDLESS COBBLED STONES STREETS AND MANY PLACES WHERE YOU CAN FIND VERY RARE PIECES OF ART, SPECIALLY PAINTINGS AND SOAP STONES SCULPTURES. NOT ONLY THIS...IN TIRADENTES YOU CAN NOTICE THE IMPRESSIVE PRESENCE OF INCONFIDENTES RANGE OF MOUNTAINS WITH FANTASTIC PLACES TO HIKE AND MANY WATERFALLS.
GREAT TO GO THERE IN THE SUMMER!!!!
Tiradentes was found in 1702 with a different name, São José do Rio das Mortes. the little town got another name since one person who firstly tried to make Brazil independent from Portugal in 1787, it did not work, and the portuguese killed him and showed pieces of his body all the way from Rio to Ouro Preto. This person was called Joaquim José da Silva Xavier, and his nickname was Tiradentes, that literally means TEETH TAKER..He was a sort of dentist in these villages and together with great people in that time, he tried to make a Revolution.
To get there is not so hard...It is just 5 hours drive from Rio de Janeiro, the little village has very good cottage with very friendly prices!!! The road is very scenic and you will have a chance to see our rural areas which is something apart from everything you planned in just one trip to Rio!
Of course I strongly recommend a visit to Tiradentes if you have more time in your trip to Rio!
Rafael Torres Lopes
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