1. INTRODUCTIONOn April 18, 1881, during one of his many visits toOuro Preto, Dom Pedro II found an important ar-chaeological site on Morro da Queimada (BurntHill). The Emperor, erudite and widely-traveled,wrote in his journal that these ruins reminded him ofPompeii, the Roman city buried by the eruption ofMount Vesuvius in 79 AD, discovered in 1748 andtoday a famous archeological site, visited by spe-cialists and tourists the world over. The archaeological site of Morro da Queimadasimilarly has its origin in tragedy. Also known as“Morro do Paschoal” or the Village of Ouro Podre,it was one of the earliest settlements in Ouro Preto.It was destroyed in 1720, following the revolt led byFelipe dos Santos against the increased taxes impo-sed by the Portuguese Crown through the prohibiti-on of the circulation of gold powder and the esta-blishment of royal minting houses in what was thenthe Capitania of São Paulo and Minas Gerais. OuroPreto, then known as Vila Rica, rebelled during thenight of the 28th and the 29th of June, 1720. The si-tuation deteriorated, and on July 2nd, 1720, morethan two thousand rebels marched on the Vila doCarmo, today Mariana, with the intention of pressu-ring the Governor to repel the measures of the Por-tuguese Crown. At this point, the movement had al-readyspread to other communities such as Sabará andMato Dentro which went on to support the revolt.

The principal leaders of the revolt were Pascoal daSilva Guimarães, Sebastião da Veiga Cabral, Dr.Manuel Mosqueira da Rosa and his son, the Frei Vi-cente Botelho, and even the Frei Francisco do MonteAlverne. According to the historian Diogo deVasconcelos, Felipe dos Santos, was “the only trulypopular leader” (Vasconcelos, D., p. 182 ) (Fig. 1).The uprising lasted around eighteen days. On the16th of July, the governor, the Count of Assumar,entered Vila Rica at approximately eleven o´clock inthe morning at the head of fifteen hundred men.

Figure 1The Execution of Felipe dos Santos, July 1720 Reconstruction by Antônio Parreiras

(Museu Antônio Parreiras, Niterói, RJ, Brazil)

The Morro da Queimada Archaeological Park, Ouro Preto, MG -Brazil.B. T. OliveiraPhD architecture and director of the Instituto do Patrimônio Histórico e Artístico Nacional - IPHAN, OuroPreto, MG, Brazil

ABSTRACT This paper deals with the creation of the Morro da Queimada Archaeological Park in OuroPreto, MG – Brazil. The Morro da Queimada constitutes an invaluable archaeological site, being an excellentsample of the first architectonical typologies in town, for it keeps registers of the gold exploitation period atthe beginning of the 18th century and the vestiges of one of the most dramatic moments in the Brazilian colo-nial history. This project is coordinated by IPHAN and is supported by national and international institutions,at the municipal, state and federal levels, as well as religious bodies, NGOs and community associations. Itwas formally proposed by the Museu de Arte Sacra do Carmo, based at the Paróquia de Nossa Senhora doPilar and was approved by the Conselho Nacional de Incentivo à Cultura – CNIC (National Committee forthe Promotion of Culture), under the auspices of MinC – the Federal Ministry for Culture of Brazil.

After its destruction by fire on the orders of theCount Assumar, the area was renamed Morro daQueimada and the population transferred to thenearby Arraiais. According to Diogo de Vasconcelos, Felipe dosSantos was arrested on either the 19th or 20th ofJuly, received a summary judgement and was exe-cuted. The other heads of the revolt were transferredto Rio de Janeiro and there condemned to exile inLisbon, Portugal. At the time, the Governor, theCount of Assumar, stated that even the very stonesof the Arraial of Ouro Podre plotted against thePortuguese Crown. As a result of the Sedição de Vila Rica in 1720,the establishment of the proposed Royal mintinghouses was postponed for four years, and MinasGerais became an administrative region independentof the Capitania of São Paulo. Morro da Queimada today constitutes a pricelessarchaeological site, a concrete record of the first ur-ban architectonical typologies of Minas Gerais, evi-dence of the gold rush at the beginning of the 18th

century, and a remnant of one of the most dramaticmoments in the history of Colonial Brazil. Besidesthe ruins of old buildings, in the area may be foundthe remains of the many gold mines that dot the hill-side: hollowed shelters carved out of rock, long gal-leries, ventilation shafts, and entrance tunnels. Stillfound on this archaeological site are mundéus, reser-voirs constructed for the washing of ore, smalldams, water diversion channels, and hydraulic sys-tems used for transporting slurries of water and mudmixed with gold (Fig. 2).

Figure 2Aerial view of Morro da Queimada in the mid-decades of the

20thcentury(IPHAN archives, Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil)

2. THE DETERIORATION OF MORRO QUEI-MADAIn recent decades, Morro da Queimada as an ar-chaeological site has become corrupted due to thechaotic growth of the City of Ouro Preto. In the ab-sence of urban planning, the site was occupied, theruins being used by the population for building ma-terial, and the surviving structures employed asfoundations for new constructions (Fig. 3). The lackof protection for the archaeological remains onMorro da Queimada in Ouro Preto constitutes oneof the more serious cases of neglect of cultural heri-tage by the various levels of government.

Figure 3 Irregular occupation of Morro da Queimada (IPHAN archives, Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil)

In April, 2003 a technical mission from UNESCOon a visit to the city identified the preservation of thearchaeological site at Morro da Queimada as one ofthe measures necessary to halt the alarming deterio-ration of the cultural and environmental heritage ofOuro Preto.

3. THE RECOVERY PROJECTFollowing this warning, the Instituto do PatrimônioHistórico Artístico Nacional-IPHAN (National In-stitute for Historical and Artistic Heritage) estab-lished work groups (historical research, property is-sues,Housing, physical planning, and community rela-tions), necessary for the preparation of a pilot proj-ect for an archeological park in the area. This project sought to create a substantial andpositive impact on the City of Ouro Preto by meansof the following: - expansion of historical research and the creationof programs for archaeological excavations, facili-tating a wider knowledge of mining history and thematerial culture of the period;

- protection and classification of the ruins dating

from the earliest settlements in Ouro Preto (Fig. 4); - preservation of the memory of Felipe dos San-tos and of the Sedição de Vila Rica in 1720; - creation of a Ecomuseum (Community Mu-seum) and archeological museum for the townswhich emerged during the “Gold Cycle”; - creation of a unusual option distinct from thetraditional tourist circuit, to encourage visitors toextend their stay in the area; - protection of a meaningful part of the landscape,including the urban and architectural complex ofOuro Preto; - improvement in the quality of life and social in-clusion of the nearby communities, creating newemployment and business opportunities, as well asensuring the economic sustainability of the project.

Figure 4View of part of the ruins at Morro da Queimada

(IPHAN archives, Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil).

During 2006 and 2007, various plans for publicworks were developed, including the following:

- delineation of the area of the park and creationof the park program (Fig.5);

- demolition of the recent constructions inside thepark; the families concerned were relocated tonew homes designed for improved quality of life;

Figure 5

Aerial view of the park: area of 124.88 hectares(IPHAN archives, Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil)

- creation of an Ecomuseum, in line with the

requirements of the local population in the nearbyareas, so as to encourage social and cultural relation-ships that would facilitate social development basedon the elements of living space, society and heritage(Fig. 6).

Figure 6 Creation of the Ecomuseum

(IPHAN archives, Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil)

At present, the Historical Research Group is work-ing on the bibliographic classification of manuscript,published and iconographic sources and on thepreparation of interview itineraries for the prelimi-nary stages in collecting the oral history of the area.After a critical reading and analysis of the sourcesand bibliography, a work methodology will be es-tablished for drawing up a basic text on how to makea qualitative approach to the space. Research in ar-chives, libraries and technical reports on the history,historiography and information management of theMorro do Queimada will assist in making diagnosesthat will orient the process of setting up archaeologi-cal park, as well as in the elaboration of the centraltheme to be incorporated in the urban planning di-rectives for the City of Ouro Preto (Fig.7).

Figure 7View of the ruins on Morro do Queimada, in the, in the mid

20thcentury(Photo from Luiz Fontana IFAC archives, Ouro Preto, MG,

Brazil)

The Property Issues and Housing groups have al-ready carried out the survey, transfer and new ar-

chitectural projects created for those families thatlived in the area designated for the creation of thepark. The families were compensated and can opt tobuy dwellings or lots for the construction of newhouses. The projects were developed with the par-ticipation of the Programa de Arquitetura Pública(Public Architecture Programme) of the School ofArchitecture of UFMG (Universidade Federal deMinas Gerais), which seeks to align the education ofits students with the Brazilian reality, using boththeory and practice (Fig.8).

Figure 8 Demolition of irregular constructions(IPHAN archives, Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil)

The Physical Planning Group has the responsibil-ity of making interventions in a site of exceptionalnatural beauty and significant archeological, histori-cal and natural value. The first stage, already in pro-gress, consists of drawing up proposals and studiesfor the creation of the park, taking into considerationits archaeological, historical, constructive, social,visual, environmental and functional aspects, so asto obtain information and subsidies for carrying outthe projects that involve physical intervention. Theinterventions involve the identification, protectionand consolidation of the archaeological structuresand remains, as well as proposing solutions for envi-ronmental recovery, and guaranteeing the protection,surveillance and security of the archaeological site. The new structures will shelter programme activi-ties and will be grouped in conformity with theirseparate functions and by functional and environ-mental affinities: entrance and access, administrativeblock, parking and cafeteria.To articulate and connect these spaces, roads andinterpretative trails will be created that will impartthevalues existing in the park and its creation. Rest andfamily areas, signage, and various types of commu-

nication, visual, mobile and lit, will be installed.The architectural design proposes buildings that willbe sparse, transparent and inserted into the natural

surroundings, taking on expressive and technologi-cal aspects appropriate for contemporary architec-tural languages, but that also make reference to thetypological and traditional construction characteris-tics.

The proposal must create a fruitful dialogue be-tween the natural elements and the constructions insuch a way so as to produce a renovated and restatedlandscape on the Morro da Queimada (Fig.9).

Figure 9View of a mine entrance, 1990s.

(Photo from Germano Neto, Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil)

The Community Relations Group is working withvarious initiatives to involve the neighbouring com-munities in the project of creating the archaeologicalpark. For this the principles, concepts, methodolo-gies and actions of the Ecomuseum will be used, soas to meet the needs and desires of the neighbor-hoods that surround the archaeological site. Theprinciple function of this group is to establish a par-ticipative inventory of activities for the purpose ofdiagnosing local potentialities and educational ac-tivities in the art education field; creative arts, theat-rical arts, music, dance; handcrafts; sports and lei-sure. The expected result is a community projectaimed at a receptive tourism, sustainable culture, bymeans of the experiences of an ecomuseum inte-grated with the archaeological park.

4. CONCLUSIONThe challenge – to implant in the community a mod-ern approach to sustainable development that takesinto consideration the preservation of the naturaland cultural heritage of the city – requires concertedaction from all parties concerned.This project is supported by several public and re-ligious institutions, including the following: TheUnited Nations Educational, Scientific and CulturalOrganization - UNESCO, Instituto do PatrimônioHistórico Artístico Nacional - IPHAN, The FederalUniversity of Minas Gerais – UFMG, The FederalUniversity of Ouro Preto – UFOP, State Institute for

Historical and Artistic Heritage – IEPHA, the State

Forestry Foundation – IEF, the State Public FundingAgency, Municipality of Ouro Preto – PMOP, Mu-nicipal Chamber of Ouro Preto – CMOP, the Gor-ceix Foundation, parish of Nossa Senhora do Pilar,parish of Santa Efigênia and the Sociedade Soto Zendo Brasil. In addition, there is support from variousNGO´s, such as the Associação de Proteção Ambi-ental Ouro Preto –APAOP (Ouro Preto Environ-mental Protection Association), the Amigos doPatimônio Cultural e Natural de Ouro Preto - AMOOuro Preto (Friends of the Cultural and NaturalHeritage of Ouro Preto) and the Federação das As-sociações de Moradores de Ouro Preto- FAMOP(Federation of Residents Associations of OuroPreto). This project is coordinated by IPHAN, developedin partnership with The Federal University of OuroPreto – UFOP, Municipality of Ouro Preto – PMOP,Municipal Chamber of Ouro Preto – CMOP, man-aged by the Museu de Arte Sacra do Carmo, basedat the Paróquia de Nossa Senhora do Pilar, andsponsored by the Programa Petrobras Cultural, theCaixa Econômica Federal (Federal DevelopmentBank) and Novelis Brasil Ltda. Morro da Queimada is a site endowed with rarenatural beauty, from where it is possible to obtain aunique view overlooking the historical centre ofOuro Preto (Fig. 10), and the Peak of Itacolomi,which guided the first European settlers, the bandei-rantes, to the area, , and, still to this day, a symbolof the city (Fig.11).

Figure 10View overlooking Ouro Preto from Morro da Queimada

(IPHAN archives, Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil)

The creation of the archaeological park of Morro daQueimada is one of the most important recent un-dertakings in Ouro Preto, and the realization of thisproject will be as important to the city as the Acro-polis is for Athens or the Palatine Hill and the An-cient Forum are for Rome.

The creation of the archaeological park of Morro daQueimada will establish a setting favorable to therecovery of the cultural and environmental heritageof the city, a new start in the place where the citybegan: the Arraial of Ouro Podre where oncePaschoal was master (Meirelles, C, p.55).

Figure 11View of the Peak of Itacolomi from Morro da Queimada

(IPHAN archives, Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil)

REFERENCES

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- Bediaga, B. (org.). 1999. Diário do Imperador D. PedroII, viagem a Minas Gerais Vol. 24, – primeira parte,26/03 a 19/04 de 1881. Petrópolis, Museu Imperial.- De Varine, H. O Tempo Social. 1987. Rio de Janeiro,Eça Editora.- Meirelles, C. 1989. Romanceiro da Inconfidência. Riode Janeiro, Editora Nova Fronteira.- Mello, S. de. 1985. Barroco Mineiro. São Paulo: EditoraBrasiliense. Belo Horizonte: Editora Rona, 1979.

- Vasconcelos, D. de. 1974. História Antiga de MinasGerais. Vol. II. Belo Horizonte: Editora Itatiaia.- Vasconcellos, S. de. 1977. Vila Rica. São Paulo: Edito-ra Perspectiva.- Vasconcellos, S. de. 1979. Arquitetura no Brasil: siste-

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