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The State of Minas Gerais is rich in stories and traditions. In colonial times it was famous for its sugar cane plantations and mines full of gold and precious stones. Modern times brought industry and a sense of haste, but the local people have kept their easy pace and their legends. The Southern area is famous for its festivals, cookery and craft art. In the Central and Northern areas the landscape changes and offers mountains and the planes that run alongside the Jequitinhonha and São Francisco Rivers. The drought is still a scourge to the population that refuses to leave their land. The clay work found alongside the Jequitinhonha moves us with its delicate features and shapes. From each piece there seems to emanate the fragility of this territory. Along the São Francisco we can find the art of figurehead making, which almost vanished, but fortunately still remains. And most of all, Minas Gerais is the land of the famous sculptor Aleijadinho. The baroque style reigns supreme, from altars to regional festivals, from rhythms to songs. Colonial Brazil was baroque and Minas Gerais won’t let us forget it, reinventing it with every piece. |
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