Estrada Real - Petropolis

Located in the foothills of the Serra dos Orgaos National Park, Petropolis served as the summer residence of the Brazilian Emperors during the 19th century. The town’s name, the "city of Peter" was in honour of Pedro II the last Emperor of Brazil. Reigning for 58 years, the emperor brought economic stability, prosperity and international standing to the country. He championed civil rights and freedom of speech, was a supporter of the arts and sciences and pushed for the abolition of slavery, which was decreed in 1888, ending the practice after 350 years. His reign came to an end when after a sudden coup d’état, the monarchy was abolished, giving rise to the First Brazilian Republic (aka the Old Republic).

In 1894, Petropolis became the official capital of the state of Rio de Janeiro and held that position for eight years when it was replaced by the city of Rio.

Nicknamed the Imperial City, there are a great number of significant buildings belonging to the imperial period, such as the Imperial Museum, previously the Petropolis Imperial Palace, the summer residence of Pedro II. Constructed between 1845-1862, the Palace is a Neoclassical building surrounded by gardens containing more than 100 species of trees and flowers from all around the world. The entire construction was paid for by the emperor’s personal funds. He greatly believed that state funds should not be used for personal property. The Palace was converted into a museum, housing artefacts belonging to the monarchy, including the Imperial Crown of Brazil. An enormous library preserves a collection of 50,000 volumes and more than 250,000 original documents dating back to the 13th century. Pedro II was a prolific reader, and a great number of rare books held by the library belonged to the Imperial family.

Another historically significant, as well as beautiful, building is the Quitandinha Palace. Built in 1944 as a luxury casino hotel, when it opened it was the largest casino hotel in Latin America. It was also the site of the 1947 Rio Treaty, an “agreement binding the republics of the Western Hemisphere together in a mutual defense system”.

The façade has a white Norman-French style with a Brazilian Baroque and Art Deco interior. The nearby artificial lake was built to provide a source of water in case of fire. When gambling was outlawed in 1946, the casino had to be closed. The hotel entertained notable figures such as Eva Peron, Henry Ford, Errol Flynn, Greta Garbo, Brazil President Getulio Vargas and King Carol II of Romania. The hotel closed in 1962 and its 440 rooms were sold as private residences.

Having worked up an appetite I went looking for a good feed. Being close to the coast where seafood is popular, I settled on a stew called Moqueca made with shrimp, tomatoes, onions, garlic, lime and coriander powering me up enough to get me to Magé.



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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 - Santa Rita de Jacutinga

Near the state borders of Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, lies the municipality of Santa Rita de Jacutinga. Surrounded by Atlantic Forest vegetation and mountainous terrain, the town is crossed by the Jacutinga and Bananal Rivers. Waterfalls abound in the area, some as deep as 20ft (6m) and are often used for rafting.

There was a steep trail east of Santa Rita that led to a hilltop chapel and a fabulous viewing platform of the countryside, the town and the parish church. After getting my fill of the views, I took an even steeper trail down to the bottom and back into town.

While strolling through the streets, I enjoyed taking my time exploring the town and slowly making my way to the parish church, Santa Rita de Cassia, from where I could see the small hilltop chapel in the distance. The parish church was built on donated lands in the 1950s. Constructed from large oat-coloured bricks, it has two towers with mint green and pale pink trimmings, a large central clock and arched windows. The mint green and pink colours are carried through the interior with lovely frescoes behind the altar and mosaic floor tiles that complement the simple overall décor.

I finished my day in a little café known for its delicious churros, a choux-based dough piped into hot oil, fried like doughnuts and rolled in cinnamon sugar. Found in many countries, each one has its own variation. The café’s menu had an endless list of gourmet versions. Each churro had white, milk or dark chocolate piped across the length of it. They were then topped with a variety of options from crushed nuts, chocolate sprinkles, kit kat, coconut covered rum balls and even smarties. Since I like my churros simple, I just settled for the authentic cinnamon sugar covered version.

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Estrada Real - Paraty

Emerging from the hinterland I was delighted to reach the coastal town of Paraty in the state of Rio de Janeiro. Located on the Bay of Ilha Grande, which is dotted with islands, the town is surrounded by lush tropical forests, mountains and waterfalls. Paraty is the end point of the Caminho Velho (Old Path) and I successfully completed the second leg of my journey.

Designated a UNESCO site in 2019, Paraty is a wonderfully preserved colonial town with cobbled streets. To protect the cobblestones, vehicles are prohibited in the historic centre. Only foot traffic and bikes are allowed, and horses and carts are frequently seen.

Settled by colonists in 1667, Paraty became an important port for exporting the gold mined in Minas to Lisbon, Portugal. Prior to the currently known Estrada Real, Portugal constructed the Caminho do Ouro (the Gold Trail), a 746mi (1200km) stone road connecting Diamantina via Ouro Preto to Paraty. As pirate attacks increased on gold laden ships, the government built the New Path, a safer overland route from Minas to Rio, completely by-passing Paraty.

With the new road in place and subsequent decline of gold in the late 18th century, Paraty was forgotten and frozen in time. The town was rediscovered when a main road was built between Rio and Santos passing through Paraty.

An interesting phenomenon occurs each month on a full moon. When the tide is high, water spills into the historic centre through openings in the seawalls, flooding the streets for a brief period of time. People living close to the seawalls will sometimes put out temporary bridges to help pedestrians cross the flooded streets.

Given its coastal location, Paraty has numerous stunning beaches that are easily reached on foot or by car. A handful of secluded beaches are also accessible via hiking trails or by boat. There are so many beach options that I am having a hard time deciding on where to go. But once done, I will head northeast to Barbacena where I will connect with Caminho Novo (New Path).



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Estrada Real - Ouro Preto

The magnificent city of Ouro Preto is the junction of Estrada Real’s three major roads. Caminho dos Diamantes, the road I’ve been travelling since Diamantina ends here, completing the first section of this journey. For the next section I will be heading to Paraty on the Caminho Velho (Old Path).

The Old Path was the first official route on the Estrada Real connecting Rio de Janeiro to the mining region. Goods from Portugal were transported on this road into the interior while minerals made their way to the coast for onward shipment to Portugal. The tropeiros with their mule trains were the carriers and they would take up to 60 days to complete their journey.

Before I launched onto the Old Path, I explored Ouro Preto (meaning Black Gold), which prior to 1823 was known as Vila Rica (Rich Town). Ouro Preto was the second capital city of Minas Gerais until it was moved in 1897 to Belo Horizonte, the current capital.

Ouro Preto is a UNESCO site mainly due to the well-preserved colonial Portuguese architecture lining its winding cobbled streets. The churches were decorated with gold and sculptures designed by local artist Antônio Francisco Lisboa, better known as Aleijadinho. Ouro Preto's wealth attracted European intellectuals, who brought music, art, and philosophy to the city.

It was also the centre of a failed attempt to break away from Portugal. As gold mining declined, Minas Gerais was unable to meet its tax obligations to the crown. Inspired by the success of the American Revolution and subsequent independence of the Thirteen Colonies, a group of prominent individuals conspired to rise up in rebellion against Portugal. The objective was to turn Brazil into a republic and choose a leader through democratic elections. The conspiracy was subsequently discovered when insiders revealed the plan to the government. In the aftermath, a number of conspirators were exiled to Africa, some were acquitted, and a few were executed, including the leader known as Tiradentes.

One of the most significant landmarks in Ouro Preto is the Church of St. Francis of Assisi. Both the structure and the interior’s carved decorations were designed by Aleijadinho, an accomplished architect and sculptor. Building began in 1760 in a Rococo style. Its interior is ornately decorated with gilded woodwork, frescoes, and sculptures. The stunning paintings on the ceiling were done by Mestre Atade, a colleague of Aleijadinho, hailing from the nearby city of Mariana. Above the single door entrance is an intricately detailed relief of St Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of Italy – the St Francis Way is a pilgrimage trail inspired by St Francis’ life.

In 1969 two century-old higher education schools, the School of Mining among them, merged into the Federal University of Ouro Preto, transforming the city into a thriving university town. There's a fine collection of minerals, gemstones, and crystals at the Mining School's Mineralogy Museum. On site security is extremely high due to the gemstones' incalculable value.

There is so much more to see and explore but it’s time to move on as soon as I’ve indulged in a traditional Brazilian Carrot Cake. Delightfully light, the cake is very fluffy topped with a thin layer of chocolate.

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