Initially, these precious stones began to be discovered in the rivers of the area, raising a first settlement on the banks of the Burgalhau. Years later, the first powerful veins would be found on the hill, to which the Portuguese Crown would hasten to create the Diamantina Demarcation, with Tijuco as the main city until its name change.

This small colonial city, more than a thousand meters above sea level, is testimony to the adventures of the bandeirantes of the 18th century, who discovered in the itacolumite of these lands, an unusual and flexible sandstone or quartzite stone, a source of the precious diamonds. After a monopolistic concession, the government assumed its extraction until the middle of the 19th century, when the South African veins made the task in Diamantina unsustainable.

The city is built up on a hill with differences in altitude of up to 150 meters, marking the layout of the city, with streets, alleys and squares that overlap at different levels. Its historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999, is reminiscent of a medieval Portuguese city, with cobbled streets and houses where the dominant color is white with bright colors in windows and decorative elements.

Exceptionally sober and elegant, simplicity prevails in its architecture, both in the houses and in the administrative or religious buildings, using typically Portuguese elements with Arab touches, such as the use of latticework on the windows and balconies.

One of the most picturesque points is the Passadiço, a pedestrian bridge between two buildings. Also noteworthy are the enormous neo-baroque cathedral from the first half of the 20th century and the Diamond Museum, dedicated to the origin and meaning of the city.

Welcome to Brazil!