The Arraial de Sabarabuçu, founded in 1674 with the arrival of the Fernão Dias flag under the command of Borba Gato, was elevated to Vila Real de-Nossa Senhora da Conceição de Sabarabuçu in 1711.
The alluvial gold that flowed from the now polluted and pale Rio das Velhas gave it a prosperous phase – it was near here that the first gold discoveries were made; in 1867, the British explorer Richard Burton left Sabará on a voyage to the Atlantic, describing the Rio das Velhas as fishy and the vegetation as leafy.
Situated in the valley that results from the river’s meeting with the Sabará, the town – today populous, bustling and with heavy traffic – has preserved the considerable Baroque collection inside its churches, most of which are listed by the National Historical Heritage.
A profusion of small eighteenth-century chapels still survive in the countryside and in the districts of Sabará.
The architectural complex of the old Rua Direita, now Rua Dom Pedro II, is well worth exploring on a walk.
HISTORY OF SABARÁ
Sabará’s history has its roots in the early days of the colonisation of Brazil and is closely related to the legend of the sabarabuçu, a boundary region.
Sabarabuçu was a source of inspiration for the colonisers, who sought “a mountain range made of silver and precious stones” in the hinterland.
The São Paulo sertanista Captain Matias Cardoso de Labuquerque was elected by Fernão Dias Paes to lead the vanguard of the Bandeira das Esmeraldas. His aim was to prepare the way, open trails and set up settlements.
After a lot of travelling, Matias de Albuquerque found a favourable spot for planting crops, with a source of water, free from the danger of flooding and a place to cross the river on foot. Sabará thus became a place of lodging for those crossing the backlands.
In 1674, the flag of Fernão Dias Paes arrived in the region, starting what would become the most important settlement founded by the São Paulo bandeirante.
However, an important publication by historian Professor Zoroastro Viana Passos mentions that the Bahians arrived in the backlands of Sabará in 1555, long before the São Paulo bandeirantes. There are some reports that Borba Gato, when he arrived here, attended mass in a small chapel that already existed.
The Arraial da Barra do Sabará was the strategic commercial centre directly linked to the Estrada Real, and by the 1700s it was bustling and one of the most populous in Minas Gerais.
In 1711, it was elevated to the status of Vila Real de Nossa Senhora da Conceição do Sabará, also known as Vila do Sabará.
Three years later, it became the seat of the extensive Comarca do Rio das Velhas, whose jurisdiction reached the borders of Goiás, Pernambuco and Bahia.
The gold rush led the Portuguese Crown to set up foundry houses in order to collect taxes on gold production.
However, after the end of the Gold Cycle, Sabará maintained a relative commercial activity until much of the 19th century and, even today, gold is still exploited in the municipality.
In 1822, Sabará contributed a significant amount of money and volunteers to the struggle for independence.
The arrival of the Central Railway of Brazil in Sabará inaugurated the Iron Cycle, which also continues to this day.
Many remnants of the colonial period are waiting to be discovered.
Recently, surveys have been carried out along the Estrada Real and the Caminho da Bahia and some buildings and ruins are worth highlighting, such as the pavement and lime kiln found in the Morro São Francisco landscape complex, the ruins of the Arraial Velho and the so-called Cemitério dos Ingleses, in the woods of the Serra da Piedade, near the Arraial de Pompéu.
The Historic Centre is home to most of the historical and architectural attractions: 18th century churches, the Municipal Theatre, the Gold Museum, fountains and colonial houses.
There are churches in Sabará that blend artistic features from different phases of the baroque style of Minas Gerais.
The Parish Church of Nossa Senhora da Conceição displays characteristics from three periods of Baroque art, a rare occurrence in the historic cities of Minas Gerais.
HISTORICAL CURIOSITIES
- First colonial settlement in Minas
- It was the largest county in colonial Brazil
- Mother of the State Capital
- Land of the Jabuticaba and the Ora-Pro-Nobis
- City of reference for Minas Gerais cuisine (Abrasel)
- It has the 2nd oldest theatre in Brazil
- Land of the Baroque Palm and Turkish Beak Lace
- It has the only Intendencia and Foundry still standing in the country
- One of the few towns in Minas Gerais to have all three phases of the Baroque
NAME SABARÁ
The name Sabará has several interpretations. One of the most likely is a corruption of the Tupi-Guarani sabaá (cove, river bend) and buçu (large), designating the meeting of the Sabará River and the Velhas River. Another interpretation is that the name Sabarabuçu is a derivation of Itaberabuçu, i.e. large mountain that shines, in an allusion to the present-day Serra da Piedade.
História e Pontos Turísticos de Sabará em Minas Gerais
Meet also historical towns of Minas Gerais
TOURISTIC ATTRACTIONS OF SABARÁ
Located on the Estrada Real, just 25 kilometres from Belo Horizonte, Sabará is a small town with numerous attractions.
1. SABARÁ MUNICIPAL THEATRE
One of the oldest in the country, this small and charming theatre – inaugurated in 1819 – took the place of the old Casa da Ópera, abandoned in 1783 with the decline of the town due to the dwindling gold prices.
Its history is steeped in the visits of the two emperors (Dom Pedro I and Dom Pedro II) and a curious local practice: when the theatre didn’t yet have seats, each inhabitant brought their own chair from home.
This well-preserved theatre hosts ballet performances, recitals, plays and operas.
It can be visited during the day. Rua Dom Pedro II, Centre.
2. NOSSA SENHORA DO ROSÁRIO DOS PRETOS CHURCH
Never finished due to a lack of resources from the Brotherhood of Black Men of Barra do Sabará, it still retains the chapel in its main nave that was to be the temporary chapel; the interruption of the work allows us to see, in the end, what the process of building a church was like.
From 1767 to 1780, only the sacristy and chancel were completed; there were several restarts and interruptions from that decade until they were abandoned.
The internal ornamentation, although simple, shows relevant images, with the painting of the chancel ceiling a little more refined.
Next to it is an important public fountain: the Rosário fountain, from 1752. Melo Viana Square.
3. GOLD MUSEUM
It has been housed since 1946 in the former house of the intendência and foundry, the establishment responsible, during the gold cycle, for weighing, smelting and transforming the metal into bars, as well as for collecting the fifth.
One of the first in operation – and the only one remaining in Brazil – the intendencia functioned until 1833.
Its collection of more than 300 pieces includes original instruments from the gold extraction process and metal production (beater, old press, scales, case with weight), models, some sacred pieces and silverware, as well as the Santana Mestra, a sculpture by Aleijadinho.
See also Barroco Mineiro.
On the first floor – where the intendant lived – you can see a reproduction of a bedroom with period furniture and, in the landscaped courtyard, a mill for crushing gold ore.
The museum’s historical and bibliographical collection is housed at Casa Borba Gato (Rua Borba Gato, 71, Centro.
4. CHURCH OF THE THIRD ORDER OF OUR LADY OF CARMO
Built between 1763 and 1818 by decision of the Third Order of Carmo to a design by Tiago Moreira, this is the only church in Sabará with works by Aleijadinho.
He designed the portal (1770) and its sculptural ornamentation in soapstone (1774); the plan for the balustrades (1779); the polychrome ornamentation of the nave in gilded woodcarving (1781) – the beautiful choir, pulpit, columns and pilasters – and the small atlantes of St Simon Stock and St John of the Cross (1779) that support the choir.
Also noteworthy is the carving of the two altars of the crossing arch, which is better executed than that of the high altar.
The churchyard, the Passo do Calvário chapel and a cemetery make up the complex. Rua do Carmo, s/n.
5. MATRIX CHURCH OF OUR LADY OF CONCEPTION
Considered by some scholars to be the oldest parish church in Minas Gerais (1701-10), the building has two towers, a balanced and simple façade.
The gilded wood carvings that line the interior, characteristic of the first and second phases of the Baroque, spare no exuberance.
Worthy of attention are the beautiful pulpits, with their hollowed-out parapets, the panels on the chancel ceiling, the figures in relief on the crossing arch and each of the eight side altars.
The paintings on the doors linking the sacristies to the chancel denote an oriental influence, reminiscent of the interior of the church of Our Lady of O. The nave ceiling invokes the Litany of Our Lady.
In the choir, there are paintings depicting scenes from the life of Christ. The high altar is home to a large image of the Immaculate Conception, which was brought from Portugal around 1750.
The feast of Our Lady of the Conception, the city’s patron saint, takes place from 1st to 8th December. Getúlio Vargas Square.
6. NOSSA SENHORA DO Ó CHURCH
A precious building that took three years to complete, from 1717 to 1720, it is one of the most expressive of the first phase of Minas Gerais Baroque. The façade features a single central tower and oriental details.
Inside, the rich carvings and paintings in gold, red and blue of the panels in the nave and ceilings stand out – they are passages about Mary and the birth of Jesus that deserve contemplation.
Note the rich oriental features of the crossing arch and the six panels flanking the high altar, whose Chinese motifs, depicting birds and trees, are said to have been inspired by Macau porcelain and made around 1725 by craftsmen from that Portuguese possession in the East. The image of the patron saint can be seen on the throne.
As the church is far from the centre, it is recommended that visitors go to the church by car. Largo Nossa Senhora do Ó (exit to Cacté).
CHAFARIZ DO KAQUENDE
Fountains were the first public facilities set up to supply water to the towns of Minas Gerais at the beginning of colonisation. In Sabará, numerous fountains were built by the town council, totalling eleven that can be identified in documents between the 18th and 19th centuries.
However, after many years of precariously serving the population with crystal-clear water, the fountains lost their function with the introduction of piped water supply to homes at the beginning of the 20th century, leaving only four public fountains and two private ones.
Of these, three have only become decorative elements in public spaces, with their beautiful sculptural forms.
Only one, the Kaquende, continues to spout water.
It was built in 1757, in stone, with two towers and the traditional cross at the top, with a large, weathered basin, painted grey, one of the colours of the House of Bragança.
The water is transported through a closed canal, also made of stone.
Its catchment, however, is in the old alley behind the fountain, in a large basin covered in stone and mortar, enclosed by a high wall;
7. CRAFTS
The ancient practice of adorning church altars and oratories with Portuguese palms has been revived in Sabará, which is why to this day local artisans make replicas of palms out of laminated paper or copper, some of which are plated in gold or silver and can be found in various shops in the city.
Turkish lace, from which towels and other items are made, is another example of Sabará’s handicrafts: passed down from generation to generation, especially among women.
This technique, listed as an intangible cultural asset, requires a needle and a stick to mark the distance between the stitches. It is sold at the Crafts Centre (Rua Borba Cato, 3, Centro).
8. POMPÉU
In the neighbourhood of Pompéu, an old arraial, the main attraction is the small chapel of Santo Antônio do Pompéu (Rua Raimundo Francisco Ferreira, 26. Pompéu.
Listed as a National Historic Site, it is representative of the early Baroque period in Minas Gerais.
It is not known for sure when it was built, but there are records of its existence dating back to 1731.
It has a simple façade and a single altar, and its carving bears similarities to those of Nossa Senhora do Ó and the early altars of the Conceição parish church.
The chancel is very ornate: note the polychrome gilt, red and blue altarpiece made up of torsal columns and a frame that stands out around an arch with angels in relief with orientalised features.
The ceiling painting alludes to the life of St Anthony.
