Black Gold in Black and White

Leanne’s Monochrome Madness is hosted by Ritva this week. It sent me back to Ouro Preto, in Minas Gerais, Brazil, a town that seems made for black and white. The name means “black gold,” after the gold that prospectors found here in the late 17th century, darkened by a thin coating of iron oxide. Several mining camps were united in 1711 as Vila Rica (“Rich Village”), and the town became the heart of Brazil’s 18th-century gold rush. It served as the capital of Minas Gerais until 1897, when the government moved to the newly built Belo Horizonte. The town took the name Ouro Preto in 1823, and in 1980 it became Brazil’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site.

All three photos were taken in and around Praça Tiradentes, the main square at the top of the old town. The square is named for Joaquim José da Silva Xavier, known as Tiradentes, who led the failed Inconfidência Mineira, a 1789 plot for independence from Portugal. After his execution in 1792, his head was displayed on a pole in this very square. His bronze statue, by the Italian sculptor Virgílio Cestari, has stood on a tall column here since 1894; its granite base is on the left of the header image.

At the far end of the square, on high ground, stands the historic Palácio dos Governadores (Governors’ Palace), the official residence of the colonial governors of Minas Gerais. It faces the Museu da Inconfidência across the square. Construction began in 1741 under the design of military engineer José Fernandes Pinto Alpoim and Manuel Francisco Lisboa, father of the sculptor Aleijadinho. With its corner bastions, round sentry boxes, and very thick walls, it is often called the casa-forte, the fortified house. In 1898, after the capital moved, the palace became home to the Escola de Minas (School of Mines). The school was founded in 1876 by the French scientist Claude-Henri Gorceix, with the backing of Emperor Dom Pedro II, and it celebrated its 150th anniversary on October 12 of this year. The school moved to a new campus in 1997, and the palace now houses its Museu de Ciência e Técnica (Museum of Science and Technology), part of the Federal University of Ouro Preto (UFOP). The museum is known for its extensive collections in mineralogy, geology, and science, including thousands of mineral samples and a gemstone gallery.

The photo above is a closer look at the colonial townhouses that line the square. Most follow the classic two-story sobrado layout: shops on the ground floor behind tall arched doorways, and living quarters above, with wrought-iron balconies. Today those ground floors hold the stores, bars, and cafés that keep the square busy well into the night.

Ouro Preto is also a very popular college town, home to about 10,000 UFOP students and an active, vibrant nightlife. Many students live in repúblicas, shared student houses (more than 300 of them) set in old colonial homes, a tradition that goes back to the 19th century. On the evening of this photo, the sidewalks and balconies were full of people, while the bell towers of the Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Carmo rose behind the rooftops.

These monochrome edits show the colonial architecture in all its splendor, without distracting colors. They take us back to a time that Ouro Preto still preserves today.

That is the story behind the shots. For more like this, enjoy these related stories: Brazil, Cityscapes, Minas Gerais, Monochrome, Monochrome Madness, Ouro Preto, and UNESCO World Heritage. Until the next shoot, keep chasing the light and the wonders it reveals.

---

• Posted for Leanne’s Monochrome Madness #71, hosted by Ritva in her Low Light theme.
• Posted for PR’s Monday Window.

---

Sources

• UNESCO World Heritage Centre – Historic Town of Ouro Preto: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/124
• Wikipedia – Ouro Preto: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouro_Preto
• Wikipédia – Palácio dos Governadores (Ouro Preto): https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palácio_dos_Governadores_(Ouro_Preto)
• Estado de Minas – Escola de Minas: 150 anos como referência nacional: https://www.em.com.br/gerais/2026/10/7517698-escola-de-minas-150-anos-como-referencia-nacional.html
• Showcaves – Museu de Minas, Ouro Prêto: https://showcaves.com/english/br/subterranea/MuseuDeMinas.html
• Revista Pesquisa FAPESP – The representation of a hero: https://revistapesquisa.fapesp.br/en/the-representation-of-a-hero/
• Guia da Semana – 8 curiosidades sobre Tiradentes: https://www.guiadasemana.com.br/arte/noticia/8-curiosidades-sobre-tiradentes