Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the construction of the new city government complex in the northern suburbs in 2010,
the plaza's stately buildings have been converted to a fine ensemble of
museums
. With
its beautiful
ipe
trees and imperial palms, Edwardian bandstand and fountains, the
square itself is a wonderful place to sit and relax.
Look out for the
Edifício Niemeyer
apartment building, whose flowing lines were
designed by architect Oscar Niemeyer (the building was completed in 1960); it's still
one of Belo Horizonte's most prestigious residential city-centre addresses today.
2
Palácio da Liberdade
Praça da Liberdade 1 • Sat, Sun and public holidays 10am-4pm (entry in groups of 12) • Free •
T
31 3217 9543,
W
circuitoculturalliberdade.com.br
The Praça da Liberdade is dominated by the elegant Neoclassical-style
Palácio da
Liberdade
, built between 1895 and 1898 as the residence of the president of Minas
Gerais. Today, the
palácio
remains the administrative centre of the state government,
and is primarily used for state functions;
weekend tours
take you through thirty lavish
rooms and last around one hour.
Memorial Minas Gerais Vale
Praça da Liberdade at Gonçalves Dias • Tues, Wed, Fri & Sat 10am-5.30pm, Thurs 10am-9.30pm, Sun 10am-3.30pm • Free •
T
31 3343 7317,
W
circuitoculturalliberdade.com.br
The highly imaginative and entertaining galleries of the
Memorial Minas Gerais Vale
are more like artistic representations of various aspects of Minas Gerais culture and
history than a typical museum. Local artist
Lygia Clark
is commemorated with a small
shrine-like video gallery, while influential poet
Carlos Drummond de Andrade
gets a
room piled with books, suit jackets and a tree - you get the picture. There are rooms
dedicated to the state's ancient cave paintings, a wonderful mini opera house and a
collection of scale models of the historic towns of Minas Gerais - there are 31 rooms in
total. The main caveat: nothing is labelled in English. Housed in the former Secretaria
de Estado da Fazenda (the state finance department) building, completed in 1897, the
grand interior staircase and open areas are almost as impressive as the exhibits.
Museu das Minas e do Metal
Praça da Liberdade 680 • Tues-Sun noon-6pm (Thurs till 10pm); last entry 1hr before closing • R$6 •
T
31 3516 7200,
W
mmm.org.br
One of the city's most artfully designed museums, the
Museu das Minas e do Metal
successfully makes the otherwise dry subjects of mining and minerals utterly absorbing,
with a series of dimly lit, whimsical galleries combining interactive exhibits, video and
moody, New Age background music. You could easily spend a couple of hours here (labels
are in English, but video and audio is Portuguese only). The dreamy Mirage Gallery, where
images of rare stones behind glass are serenaded by recordings of Brazilian rock singer
Fernanda Takai
reading
Romanceiro da Inconfidência
- Cecilia Meireles' poem celebrating
the doomed Minas freedom movement (see p.159) - sets the stage. There are special
tributes to the “prince of geologists”
Djalma Guimarães
, as well as a fabulous display of his
collection of precious gems and rock; the mesmerizing
Sharp Tongue
installation; a room
of hanging metal tubes representing the elements of the periodic table; and a fascinating
terminal allowing you to compare the current price of commodities such as beans, gold
and cotton with past decades. Known as the “pink building”, the museum is housed in
another Neoclassical confection, completed in 1897 as the Secretaría do Interior.
Espaço do Conhecimento UFMG
Praça da Liberdade • Tues, Wed & Fri-Sun 10am-5pm, Thurs 10am-9pm • Free; planetarium R$6 •
T
31 3409 8350,
W
espacodoconhecimento.org.br
he
Espaço do Conhecimento
UFMG
or “palace of knowledge” is primarily targeted at
kids, and contains a planetarium plus several galleries focusing on the creation of the
universe, life on earth and the environment. The museum is the only one on the Praça da
