Mining Heritage & the Bid for World Heritage Status: Lessons from Ouro Preto, Brasil
After dedicated campaigning by 15 local councils, the Victorian Goldfields Tourism Executive, Heritage Victoria, and the community, the Victorian Goldfields was officially included on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List earlier this year.[1] This is a major milestone and a promising opportunity for the state’s gold towns, settlements, historic cities and rural landscapes, making up 20% of Victoria, to achieve World Heritage status.[2] The bid encourages us to unearth and share stories that enhance our understanding and connection to such landscapes, also the focus of the 2025 Australian Heritage Festival which promotes exploring “stories, places and traditions…that enrich Victorians cultural landscape”.[3]
But what can we learn from another world heritage listed goldfield?
Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais
One of the earliest gold rushes in the world took place in Brasil, in the Southern eastern state of Minas Gerais between the 17th century to the mid-18th century.[4] At the centre of this gold boom was Ouro Preto, a former colonial mining town which has witnessed evolving interpretations. In 1980, the city’s artistic significance and rich history was formally recognised and inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. [5] By studying how its heritage has been preserved and given new meanings overtime, we can think more critically about ways to uncover Victoria’s own gold mining legacies.
A (very) Brief History of Ouro Preto
For the first 200 years of European colonisation, Brasil’s wealth depended largely on the world demand for sugar.[6] This was propped up by slave-labour plantations in the northeast, connected to the African Slave Trade.[7] However in the early 1690s, gold was discovered in the Serra do Espinhaço (the ‘Spiny Mountains’) in Minas Gerais, shifting Brasil’s economic power to the southeast. [8] This transfer of power still influences the country’s socioeconomic divide today.[9]
Once an “impenetrable” land of forests, mountains, and huge rivers, Minas Gerais was drastically changed by economic activity.[10] The Portuguese colonists believed that the discovery of gold was a divine reward, and the news quickly spread, resulting in a mass migration of people willing to try their luck in the gold fields. At the height of the gold rush, there were approximately 100,000 people, many of whom were enslaved Africans.[11] While it is difficult to discern the numbers of enslaved people brought over to work in the mines and as servants, it is estimated that the population grew from 6,700 in 1716 to 24,500 by 1767, demonstrating how slavery was integral to the town’s prosperity. [12]
The discovery of gold eventually revealed how the mountains were rich in other precious stones, including diamonds, as well as iron ore, bauxite, and manganese. [13] A new state under Portuguese control called Minas Gerais (General Mines) was created, its name signifying how the region was rich in minerals.[14] Ouro Preto, meaning “Black Gold” grew out of this mining wealth and was the capital of Minas Gerais from 1720-1897.[15] Despite prospectors belief that they were working deposits of unlimited wealth, as with many stories of boom to bust, by the mid-19th century gold was exhausted and “the city’s influence declined”.[16] Today, it is Ouro Preto’s story and architecture that attracts people from across Brasil and the world.
Paisagem de Ouro Preto (Landcape of Ouro Preto) Anita Malfatti 1948, courtesy of Collection of the Museu Nacional de Belas Artes
Interpretations of Ouro Preto - Art Heritage
Ouro Preto’s artistic and architectural significance was a decisive factor in its World Heritage status:
“[Ouro Preto] was created by thousands of soldiers of fortune eager to enrich themselves by exploiting the gold deposits; they were followed by a great number of artists who came to settle and achieve works of outstanding quality… it is of outstanding universal value… [and] a unique artistic and urbanistic masterpiece.[17]
”
The town’s baroque churches, colonial style houses, official buildings, cobblestone streets, and public squares demonstrate its gold wealth and strong Portuguese-Catholic influence. Arguably the grandest structures are its churches, lavishly decorated with gold, sculptures, and beautifully painted ceilings. Built in the beginning of the 18th century and inspired by the architectural style of places of worship in Europe, they are mesmerising.[18]
Increasingly, researchers are examining race in Ouro Preto’s artistic landscape. The Church of Our Lady of the Rosary prompts such discussions because of its thought-provoking iconography, including two statues of Black saints. For Dr Miguel a. Valerio, such inclusions were a way for “enslaved, free and freed Afro-Brasilians” to exercise “artistic and socioeconomic agency” by manipulating Catholic imagery to express “their group, Catholic, and racial identity”.[19] One of the most famous artists during Brasil’s colonial period was Antônio Francisco Lisboa, also known as Aleijadinho.[20] Behind many of the paintings and sculptures in the city’s churches, he was the son of a Portuguese architect and an enslaved African woman and has thus come to represent the interplay of cultures during colonial prosperity. [21]
Images left to right: 1) Mint House of Ouro Preto; 2) Church of Saint Francis of Assisi 3) Church of Saint Francis of Assisi ornate ceiling; 4) Many of the city’s interpretative panels offer English translations; 5) During Portugese rule of Minas Gerais, the Crown banned religious orders resulting in the absence of monasteries or convents in the city today; 6) Baroque architecture; 7) Visitors can access multiple churches with a single pass (; 8 & 9) Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Conception of Antônio Dias preservation project; 10) The church is restored to its original brilliance; 11) Ouro Preto winds up and down a mountainous landscape.
It seems that art and architecture will always remain a key value of Ouro Preto. During 2014-2022, the church The Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Conception of Antônio Dias underwent a series of conservation and restoration work. Its roof was at risk of collapse and its decorative elements were deteriorating. However, the project has restored its brilliance and is presented to visitors through a display of photos and videos in the building’s hallways. The before and after is striking, calling attention to the scale and importance of the restoration work.[22]
Revitalising The Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Conception of Antônio Dias
Interpretations of Ouro Preto - Difficult heritage: Confronting the portrayals communities in mining landscapes
Ouro Preto’s grandeur would not exist without slavery and gold mining’s environmental destruction of surrounding mountains, forests, and rivers. Through histories which approach the past through a “difficult heritage lens”, researchers and local institutions have sought to acknowledge these injustices as well as the enduring systems of oppression. [23]
The Casa dos Contos de Ouro Preto (the Mint House of Ouro Preto) is an example of how museums are working to better represent “the complexity of colonial mining heritage”. [24] Located in the building’s senzala (slave quarter), is a display of photographs depicting Afro-Brasilians working in mines. Dedicated to the contributions of Black communities, past and present, the images challenge the perception that slaves were passive, rather they possessed knowledge and skills in the industry in which they worked, as well as actively resisting oppression. [25]
Similarly, an interpretative panel in the Cozinha dos Escravizados (Slave Kitchen) demonstrates the profound influence of Afro-Brasilian culture on the country.[26] It highlights how Brasil’s staple dishes trace back to the dishes prepared by slaves. Out of meager rations of flour, beans, dried meat, and sometimes pieces of pigs, the food cooked in senzalas (slave quarters) caught the attention of the upper classes.[27]
Photographic installation that tells the story of Afro-Brasilians’ ongoing contributions to the mining industry
Interpretation panel in Casa dos Contos de Ouro Preto
Flag of Minas Gerais in Museu da Inconfidênica. The sides of the red triangle read LIBERTAS QUAE SERA TAMEN. It is difficult to translate but is often said to mean “liberty, albeit late”.
Tying the national story with Inconfidênica Mineira, Tiradente’s legacy is etched onto a block underneath the state flag:
“IN MEMORIAM JOAQUIM JOSÉ DA SILVA XAVIER O TIRANDENTES”
Interpretations of Ouro Preto - Brasil’s independence movement
Ouro Preto is considered a “flash point” for Brasil’s revolutionary ideas. [28] In 1789, a group of conspirators—mostly elites—organised an insurgency against the Portuguese Crown. [29] Known as Inconfidênica Mineira (Minas Inconfidence), the movement ultimately failed, and 24 men were convicted of treason. [30]
Joaquim José da Silva Xavier, or Tiradente (‘tooth-puller’ refers to his previous profession as a dentist) is heralded as the leader of Inconfidênica Mineira. For his treachery, he was publicly hanged, his body quartered, and his remains displayed in public places to prevent a future uprising.[31] His brutal death transforming him into a national martyr for independence, Tiradente is famously commemorated by a bronze statue in the town’s Tiradente Square.[32]
Official buildings like the Museu da Inconfidênica present Ouro Preto as an important site for independence.[33] However, scholars like Santos and Iamamoto have argued that by commemorating the city’s role in breaking away from Portugal, local institutions have narrowly presented historic figures as “defenders of national interests”, downplaying the interests of local elites.[34] The prominence of nationalistic and state narratives highlight the complexities of historical interpretation and its pertinence for local communities.
Lessons from Ouro Preto
Ouro Preto’s history tells big stories of slavery and liberation, great wealth and economic decline, the wonders of natural landscapes and their environmental destruction— important stories that we still see unfold in other places around the world. It is histories such as these that make a place worthy of World Heritage status. The Victorian Goldfields have a rich heritage and we are excited for its inclusion on the UNSECO World Heritage Tentative list.
Written by Lauren Impey
References:
[1] City of Greater Bendigo. “Victorian Goldfields World Heritage Bid Celebrates Tentative Listing.” City of Greater Bendigo. January 31 2025. https://www.bendigo.vic.gov.au/about-us/news-and-media/victorian-goldfields-world-heritage-bid-celebrates-tentative-listing.
[2] The Victorian Goldfields World Heritage Bid, “The Goldfields.” The Victorian Goldfields World Heritage Bid. Accessed March 31, 2025. https://goldfieldsworldheritage.com.au/the-goldfields/, 2025.
[3] National Trust Australian Heritage Festival, National Trust. “Australian Heritage Festival (Victoria) 2025 Digital Program.” National Trust Australian Heritage Festival, National Trust. Accessed March 31, 2025. https://www.nationaltrust.org.au/ahf/vic/digital-program/?gad_source=1&gclid=cj0kcqjws-s-bhd2arisalssg0yx6pz1ayau3kat-enjozlnmrfcna9l-glfkm2n2p9d1rxo3mcshswaai9wealw_wcb.
[4] UNESCO World Heritage Convention. “Historic Town of Ouro Preto.” UNESCO World Heritage Convention. Accessed 31 March 2025. https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/124/.
[5] UNESCO World Heritage Convention. “Historic Town of Ouro Preto.”
[6] Palin, Michael. Brazil. Weidenfeld & Nicolson: London, 2012. 143
[7] Palin. Brazil. 143
[8] Eduardo Corona Pêrez, “Population and Slavery in Vila Rica de Ouro Preto (1712-1770),” Culture & History Journal 12, no. 2 (2023): 2.
[9] Palin. Brazil. 143
[10] Pêrez, “Population and Slavery in Vila Rica de Ouro Preto (1712-1770),” 2.
[11] Viviane da Silva Borges Barbosam Hernani Mota de Lima and Bráulio magalhães Fonseca. “Assessing Risk of Abandoned Urban Mines in the UNSECO World Heritage City of Ouro Preto, Brazil.” Applied Geography 139, (2022): 102648.
[12] Pêrez, “Population and Slavery in Vila Rica de Ouro Preto (1712-1770),” 2.
[13] Pêrez, “Population and Slavery in Vila Rica de Ouro Preto (1712-1770),” 2.
[14] UNESCO World Heritage Convention. “Historic Town of Ouro Preto.”
[15] UNESCO World Heritage Convention. “Historic Town of Ouro Preto.”
[16] UNESCO World Heritage Convention. “Historic Town of Ouro Preto.”
[17] UNESCO World Heritage Convention. “Historic Town of Ouro Preto.”
[18] UNESCO World Heritage Convention. “Historic Town of Ouro Preto.”
[19] Valerio, Dr Miguel A. “Chruch of Our Lady of the Rosary of the Blacks, Ouro Preto, Brazil.” Smarthistory, March 14, 2021. https://smarthistory.org/church-our-lady-of-the-rosary-ouro-preto/.
[20] Ammann, Laura. “Aleijadinho’s Mestiço Architecture in Eighteenth-Century Brazil: Inventing Brazilian National Identity via a Racialized Colonial Art.” Arts (Basel) 12, no. 5 (2023): 214-215.
[21] Ammann, “Aleijadinho’s Mestiço.” 215.
[22] The Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Conception of Antônio Dias. DES/COR/TINAR. Museu Casa dos Contos, 2014-2022.
[23] De Souza Santos, Andrea Aruska and Sue A. S. Iamamoto. “The Difficult Legacy of Mining In The Past And Contemporary Potosí and Ouro Preto.” Journal of Latin American Geography 18, no. 3 (2019): 110-111.
[24] Santos. “The Difficult Legacy of Mining.” 110.
[25] Museu Casa dos Contos. Visited January 4, 2025.
[26] Museu Casa dos Contos. “Cozinha dos Escravizados Cocina delos Esclavos/ Slave Kitchen.” Museu Casa dos Conto. Visited 4 January 2025.
[27] Museu Casa dos Contos. “Cozinha dos Escravizados Cocina delos Esclavos/ Slave Kitchen.”
[28] Santos. “The Difficult Legacy of Mining.” 118.
[29] Brandao, Angela. “El Retrato De La Reina Doña Maria I Y La De La Inconfidenica Mineira/The Portrait of the Queen Dona Maria I and the Defeat of the Mineira Iconfidencia.” Intus-Legere Historia 14, no. 2 (2020): 80.
[30] Rodrigues, André Figueiredo and Jonis Freire. “O Preço Dos Escravos e Suas ‘Cores’ Nas Escravarias Dos Inconfidentes Mineiros Da Comarca Do Rio Das Mortes, Nas Minas Gerais de 1789 a 1791.” Estudos Ibero-Americanos 44, no. 3 (2018): 549.
[31] Santos. “The Difficult Legacy of Mining.” 118.
[32] Brandao, Angela. “El Retrato De La Reina Doña Maria I Y La De La Inconfidenica Mineira/The Portrait of the Queen Dona Maria I and the Defeat of the Mineira Iconfidencia.” Intus-Legere Historia 14, no. 2 (2020): 80.
[33] Rodrigues. “O Preço Dos Escravos.” 549.
[34] Hubner, Manu Marcus. “Mártires, de Rabi Akvia a Tiradentes: Uma Aproximação.” Arqiovo Maaravi (Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil) 15, no. 28 (2021): 13.