City of Sabará

Sabará

Located about 20 Km from Belo Horizonte, Sabará was born from a campo of bandeirantes paulistas in the end of the 17th century. Its appearance is closely connected to the legend of the mythical "Sabarabuçu", which ran in colonial Brasil and told the story of a "sierra made of precious stones" in Minas Gerais.

The town of Sabará was one of the cities that sent the most gold to the Portuguese Crown. The amount of the precious ore made her a rich city. The children of the local elite were sent to Europe to study and in the palaces you could find European-style furniture.

Sabará enjoyed much prestige by the Crown that D. Pedro I granted the town and the title of "Fidelíssima" (most faithful) in 1823. The townhouses and churches in the historic center are vivid representations of these times. The Museu de Ouro, one of the attractions of the city, also represents this rich period in the history of Brasil.

The Casa da Intendência, current head quarter of the Museum, is part of the architectural and urban development protected by the Instituto do Patrimônio Histórico e Artístico Nacional (Iphan).

Other attractions are the Rosário and the Caquende Fountains, the Paço Municipal and the churches of Nossa Senhora das Mercês, Nossa Senhora do Carmo, de Santana, Nossa Senhora do Ó and the main church Senhora da Conceição with its entire cedar and gold interior designed by Aleijadinho, one of the greatest baroque artists of Minas.

Another attraction is the Casa da Ópera (Opera House), the country's oldest theatre, built according to Italian standard in a horseshoe-shape and that has received the emperors D. Pedro I and II.

Religion is a strong aspect of the city and the Via-Sacra de Sabará, during Holy week, is a tradition of more than 200 years.

The cuisine is another striking aspect of the city, which promotes festivals linked to the theme, as the ora-pro-nóbis (high protein vegetable used in dishes in Minas Gerais) and the Jabuticaba Festival (abundant fruit in the region), both present in the local calendar.