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This year, the national historical tourism itinerary maps out 23 municipalities boasting a rich colonial heritage located across Brazil’s Northeast and Southeast regions. The circuit encompasses 12 Northeastern and 11 Southeastern destinations that beautifully preserve the urban infrastructure developed during the country’s historic gold mining and sugarcane cycles.
The state of Minas Gerais holds the largest concentration of preserved locations, with eight towns registered in the historical circuit. The Southeastern survey also includes the charming municipality of São Luiz do Paraitinga in São Paulo, featuring buildings erected between the 18th and 19th centuries. The regional route is perfectly complemented by the coastal town of Paraty, founded in 1667 in Rio de Janeiro, and the magnificent historical collections of the Imperial Museum in Petrópolis.
Architectural Marvels in the Northeast
In Bahia, the itinerary highlights the historic buildings of Salvador, constructed between 1549 and 1763, alongside the historic urban layout of the municipality of Cachoeira. The journey also incorporates the unique French-origin architecture of São Luís and the captivating 18th-century ruins located in the city of Alcântara, in Maranhão. These Northeastern complexes beautifully illustrate the local architecture shaped by the booming agricultural export trade during the colonial period.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) officially evaluates and recognizes several of these remarkable locations. The international institution classifies the following sites along the route as World Heritage Sites:
- The Historic Centre of Olinda, founded in 1535 in the state of Pernambuco.
- São Francisco Square, established in 1590 in the town of São Cristóvão, Sergipe.