Estrada Real - Paraíba do Sul

The city of Paraíba do Sul is situated on the banks of the Paraíba do Sul River in the state of Rio de Janeiro. It is one of the oldest hydrothermal resorts in the state.

The city was established in 1681 by Garcia Rodrigues Paes who was responsible for the construction of the Caminho Novo. When he discovered backwater on the river that was directly north of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Garcia made an agreement with the crown that he would build a road that would cut the travel time from Minas Gerais to Rio from three months to 15 days, which he did. For services rendered, the crown granted him farming lands along the road and a village charter. Garcia went on to discover gold, had a successful cattle farm and was promoted to General Mining Guard. By the time of his passing, Garcia was one of the wealthiest people alive during that time.

"One of the highlights in the city is the Renaissance-influenced mansion of Baron Miguel

 Ribeiro de Sá, a wealthy landowner who made his fortune from coffee plantations. Miguel was known for his philanthropic work, donating textbooks to schools and assisting financially in the construction of several churches and shelter homes."

The mansion was built in 1886 and today serves as the municipal government. The wide-fronted building is set on two floors with a stunning curving staircase leading to the upper entrance. On either side of the central door are four large windows with small cast iron balconies. Above the doorway is a triangular pediment with a detailed fresco representing the Baron’s coat of arms. The building’s facade is painted in a salmon pink colour with white trimmings. The mansion is surrounded by gardens, fountains and gazebos.

Heading out of town, I passed by an iron bridge of English origin spanning the Paraíba do Sul River. It was used for cargo transportation in the late 19th century but more recently it was part of a 9mi (14km) sightseeing tour of the city. The bridge has a fantastic truss structure but the view of the river was the real gem at this location.

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Estrada Real - Juiz de Fora

Nothing prepared me for the modernity of Juiz de Fora. It is a sprawling city filled with apartment blocks and high-rise buildings. With a population of nearly 600,000 people, the city is the fourth largest in Minas Gerais. Juiz de Fora is strategically located between the three major commercial cities - Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo – and also connects Brasília, the capital of Brazil with the harbour in Rio.

When it was initially established on the newly opened Caminho Novo, the city languished in its development, but as gold mining declined, investment shifted towards coffee production. Juiz de Fora has very fertile grounds and has greatly benefited from this new industry. The city’s wealth grew and was further enhanced by the arrival of a new railway and the first hydroelectric power plant in Latin America. By the 1890s, Juiz de Fora was the largest urban area in the state.

As coffee production moved towards São Paolo, industrial and textile manufacturing became the new economy, and by the early 20th century the city was the nation's major centre. However, all this would come to an end when the bulk of the city’s wealth was used to build the state’s capital. By the 21st century, particularly after the 1930s depression era, the city was in decline and remained that way for the better part of the century. Following Brazil’s economic boom, Juiz de Fora has re-emerged as a main centre, this time in the areas of telecommunications, higher education, textile manufacturing, retail, steel mills and automotive factories such as Mercedes-Benz.

Multicultural due to immigrants from Europe, the Middle East and China, the city has developed a wonderful variety of cuisines. Local flavours along with those from Germany, Italy, Portugal, the Middle East, China and Japan all intertwine in this cosmopolitan place. The greatest difficulty is choosing which one to have.

Of course, since I am in Brazil the local cuisine is of greatest interest. For any meat lover, one must try the Brazilian barbecue known as churrascaria, skewered meat that comes in a wide variety of cuts. Starting with a high-quality cut, the meat is slow-roasted rotisserie-style, locking in its juices and flavour. Similar to Greek gyros, once the top layer of the meat has browned, it is sliced off and served. A word of advice, the selections are endless and servings plentiful, this is an experience best shared with family and friends.

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Estrada Real - Barbacena

I made it to Barbacena, a mid-size city on the Estrada Real. Located in the foothills of the Mantiqueira Mountains, Barbacena is at an elevation of 3,727ft (1,136m), making it one of the ten highest cities in Brazil. Because of its elevation and cool climate, Barbacena is the most prolific flower producer in Minas Gerais, earning "City of Roses" as a nickname.

The city of Barbacena was founded in 1791 and by the 19th century it served as a distribution centre for the mining industry in Minas. When the railway extended beyond the city, Barbacena lost its position as a mining hub.

The surrounding area was agricultural, producing coffee, sugarcane, and corn. Today, it focuses on growing flowers, fruit and vegetables, and has two major textile factories.

The flower industry began in the 1950s by Italian and German immigrants. By the 1970s roses were exported to the US and several countries in Europe. When overseas importers defaulted on their payments, local exporters and suppliers went bankrupt.
 

A revival of the industry took place in the late 1980s with the start of a new company, founded by a German citizen who invested heavily in new technology, better irrigation, pruning and cold storage. The company took off and for a while was the largest employer in the city. By the mid-90s it closed its doors due to increased competition from neighbouring countries and Africa.

Fast forward to today and this time professional growers were recruited to train farmers in sustainable production and teach them how flower cultivation can be a profitable business. Next they upgraded all outdated technologies and processes, and started replacing underperforming rose varieties with better yielding ones. Finally, they reviewed their business management practices and reigned in their costs. With all these changes the flower growing industry is going through a revival once more.

In Barbacena, I rejoined the Estrada Real as the town is part of the Caminho Novo (New Path). Taking a southbound approach, I am ready to embark on the final leg of my journey and head for Magé in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

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Estrada Real - Diamantina

Imagine if you could hop in a time machine back to the year 1500 and were sailing from Portugal to India via Africa’s Cape of Good Hope but you sail too far west on the Atlantic Ocean and come across a massive landmass. That’s what happened to Pedro Alvares Cabral, a Portuguese fleet commander enroute to India. Making landfall, he believed he was on a giant island until he explored more of the coastline and realised he was actually on a continent, that being South America. He swiftly claimed the land for the Portuguese Crown that later came to be known as Brazil.

At the time of Cabral’s discovery, Brazil was occupied by indigenous tribes. Colonial settlement began thirty years later (c.1530) and the territory remained under Portuguese rule for the next 300 years until Brazil gained its independence. Today, Brazil is the only Portuguese speaking country in South America.

At first, Brazil was used as a coastal trade post, since the Portuguese had no interest in exploring the interior. Brazilwood, a tree that produces red dye, was traded with the local natives and exported to Europe. The colony then turned its focus on sugar production which became Brazil’s primary industry. Export of sugar began to decline by 1700 AD just as minerals, precious metals and stones were discovered in the mountainous state of Minas Gerais (Minas), in the southeast of Brazil.

Fortune seekers rushed to Minas in search of gold. A few years later diamonds were also found. Mining for precious metals and gems became the new economic activity in Brazil but the difficulty was in safely transporting them to the ports for onward passage to Portugal. Smugglers and pirates were plentiful and in order to protect the colonial assets the Crown built three main roads - Caminho Velho, Caminho Novo and Caminho dos Diamantes - and a minor one, collectively referred to as Estrada Real (the Royal Road).

My journey focuses on the three main roads beginning in Diamantina, at the northernmost point of Caminho dos Diamantes (the Diamond Path). Built on the side of a steep valley, Diamantina was founded in 1713 and grew to prominence 16 years later when diamonds were discovered in the area. As the city flourished, cobblestone streets and colourful semi-detached houses went up. Influenced by Portuguese architecture, Diamantina’s buildings were made of wood, a unique difference from other Brazilian towns. The windows were colourfully trimmed and decorated with small iron balconies from where one could take in the sites.

Diamantina’s historic centre is a reminder of the early explorers who braved the interior in search of diamonds and their ability to adapt to new environments. In recognition of this, the city was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Enjoying the narrow streets and gorgeous buildings, I meandered my way through them towards the end of the city and out into the countryside heading for Serro.



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