Pouso do Chico Rei, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais - beautiful colonial townhouse, with a fascinating artistic history

The Pouso do Chico Rei is a lovingly refurbished listed colonial townhouse which dates back to the late 18th century and has been a pousada for over 50 years. Superbly located down the cobbled street which runs between Praca Tiradentes and the Theatro Municipal, the pousada maintains a great many of the original features- including amazing coved ceilings in the drawing room  upstairs. Furniture is an eclectic mix of antiques, sharing space with paintings, poems and etchings by pousada friends and family, which together give a unique character to the place.

This is very much a family home. Established by Danish artist, Lili de Araujo, in partnership with fellow artist Ninita Moutinho, the original purpose was to have somewhere where visiting artists, intellectuals and friends could stay. Rooms bear the names of many who did: Burle Max (landscape gardener) Vinicius de Moraes (poet and musician), Jorge Amado (writer) Guignard (painter) not to mention Jean Paul Sartre, Pablo Neruda and Simone de Beauvoir. It is now run lovingly by Lili's grandson, Ricardo and his wife, Maria Helena, and looking out over the terracotta rooftops of Ouro Preto we felt truly privileged to be staying here too.

It is very difficult to do justice to Ouro Preto in one or two short paragraphs- and any stay needs to be for at least 3 days to take in the number of museums and historical buildings. The town dates back to the late 17th century when "bandeirante" travellers came looking for gold, precious stones and Indians to work as slaves, and the village gained the name "Vila Rica" or rich town in 1711, growing substantially over the next century as more gold flowed  in from the mines. Fed up with the enormous taxes imposed by the portuguese crown it  was here that the "Inconfidencia" movement  for liberty from Portugal started in the mid 18th century, and it is the statue of Tiradentes, its leader, which now stands in the main square. 

A world heritage city, Ouro Preto, as it is now known has  innumerable churches (many in extremely ornate baroque style) plus the original mint,  museums, parks and fountains to be visited. It also boasts a steam train which runs between Ouro Preto and Mariana at weekends, and the Mina da Passagem, one of the last gold mines to close (in 1985) which  runs short tours for visitors.

• Churches of Sao Francisco de Assis  and the Matriz N.S.de Pilar
• Museums of Inconfidencia, Oratorium, Science and Technology
• Municipal Theatre
• Mina da Passagem
• Cafe Geraes in Rua Direita for the atmosphere and the "couvert"
• Eduardo's jewellery at Cantaria downstairs in Cafe Geraes

• the atmosphere and the artistic history
• views from the  rooms over rooftops and churches
• quiet location right in the centre of town

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Price Guide

Prices below are low season rates for two people in brazilian reais (R$). Standard double room, with en-suite shower room, breakfast included.

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