São João del Rei
Encyclopedia
São João del-Rei also spelled São João del Rey or São João del Rei is a historical city in the state of Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais is one of the 26 states of Brazil, of which it is the second most populous, the third richest, and the fourth largest in area. Minas Gerais is the Brazilian state with the largest number of Presidents of Brazil, the current one, Dilma Rousseff, being one of them. The capital is the...

, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

.

Population: 40,600 inhabitants. (2004)

São João del-Rei was founded in the 18th century and has a great number of buildings from that era, including more than 70 churches. It was there where Tiradentes
Tiradentes
Joaquim José da Silva Xavier, known as Tiradentes , was a leading member of the Brazilian revolutionary movement known as the Inconfidência Mineira whose aim was full independence from the Portuguese colonial power and to create a Brazilian republic. When the plan was discovered, Tiradentes was...

, the leader of the Inconfidência Mineira
Inconfidência Mineira
The Inconfidência Mineira of 1789 was an unsuccessful Brazilian independence movement.It was a result of the confluence of external and internal causes...

, was born in 1746.

Gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...

, animal husbandry
Animal husbandry
Animal husbandry is the agricultural practice of breeding and raising livestock.- History :Animal husbandry has been practiced for thousands of years, since the first domestication of animals....

 and agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...

 aided the development and progression of the former town, given city
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...

 status on December 8, 1838.

The city is served by Pref. Octávio de Almeida Neves Airport
São João del-Rei Airport
Prefeito Octávio de Almeida Neves Airport is the airport serving São João del-Rei, Brazil. The airport is named after a former Mayor of São João del-Rei.-Airlines and destinations:-External links:...

.

Cathedrals and churches

  • Catedral Basílica do Pilar (1721), seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of São João del Rei
    Roman Catholic Diocese of São João del Rei
    The Roman Catholic Diocese of São João del Rei is a diocese located in the city of São João del-Rei in the Ecclesiastical province of Juiz de Fora in Brazil.-History:...

  • Rosário (1720)
  • Carmo (1733)
  • Mercês e Bonfim (1769)
  • São Francisco de Assis (1774)
  • Senhor dos Montes Santo Antônio
  • N. Sra. da Piedade do Bom Despacho (antiga capela da Cadeia)

Famous people from São João del Rey

  • Tiradentes
    Tiradentes
    Joaquim José da Silva Xavier, known as Tiradentes , was a leading member of the Brazilian revolutionary movement known as the Inconfidência Mineira whose aim was full independence from the Portuguese colonial power and to create a Brazilian republic. When the plan was discovered, Tiradentes was...

     (Brazilian national hero)
  • Tancredo Neves
    Tancredo Neves
    Tancredo de Almeida Neves, SFO more commonly Tancredo Neves was a Brazilian politician. He was born in São João del Rey, in the state of Minas Gerais, of mostly Portuguese, but also Austrian descent and graduated in law. The Neves family name comes from an Azorean great great grandfather...

     (former Brazilian president)
  • Lucas Moreira Neves
    Lucas Moreira Neves
    Lucas Moreira Neves O.P. was a Brazilian Cardinal Bishop and Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.Neves was born in São João del Rei, in Minas Gerais state, Brazil. He was ordained a priest on 9 July 1950...

     (Brazilian cardinal)

Estrada de Ferro Oeste de Minas

São João del Rei was an important station on the Estrada de Ferro Oeste de Minas
Estrada de Ferro Oeste de Minas
The Estrada de Ferro Oeste de Minas was a narrow gauge railway located in the southeastern Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. At its peak the railway's route totalled...

, a narrow gauge railway, and the location of a major roundhouse
Roundhouse
A roundhouse is a building used by railroads for servicing locomotives. Roundhouses are large, circular or semicircular structures that were traditionally located surrounding or adjacent to turntables...

. The station and surrounding facilities have been turned into Brazil's largest railway museum, and a tourist railway operates from the station to Tiradentes
Tiradentes, Minas Gerais
Tiradentes is a municipality in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. It is located at , has an area of 83.5 km², and a maximum height of 927 m. Tiradentes had an estimated population of 6,364, as of 2004. The original village was established in 1702 and become a city on 19 January 1718....

.

External links

Municipal website
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