A Visit to the City of Black Gold-BY AWAKE! WRITER IN BRAZIL

YOU may never have heard of the Brazilian town of Ouro Preto, but in the 18th century, its population was three times larger than was that of New York City, and its revenues once provided the funds to rebuild the earthquake leveled city of Lisbon in Portugal.  In 1890, the United Nations Educational Scientific, and Cultural Organization added Ouro Preto to the World Heritage List, now including nearly 700 sites that excel in cultural and natural value. Why was Ouro Preto given this status?  Consider the history of this unique town.

A Golden Drink

During the first half of the 17th century, scores of Portuguese explorers, called bandeirantes scouted Brazil in search of new land, Indian slaves,  and gold.  One expedition pushed inland until it reached Itacolomi Mountain. There, Duarte Lopes approached a brook to quench his thirst. He scooped  some water into his wooden bowl and drank. Then he noticed small black stones in the bowl. 

Lopes sold the stones to a friend who, suspecting that they were valuable, sent them to the governor of Rio de Janeiro. On examining the stones, the governor saw that they were of the finest gold covered by a thin, black layer of iron oxide. But where did the gold come from? As soon as Lopes described Itacolomi, the search was on.  In 1698, bandeirante Antonion Dias de Oliveira found the mountain from which it had come. At breakneck pace, gold hunters rushed to an encampment near the find, later called Vila Rica. Before long Vila Rica had 80,000 inhabitants. In time, it became the capital of Minas Gerais and was named Ouro Preto, meaning "Black Gold." 

Next time: A Visit to the City of Black Gold/Black Gold Turns Red

From the Awake!  magazine