The Morro da Queimada Archaeological Park Project, Ouro Preto, MG - Brazil

This paper deals with development of the project for the installation of the Morro da Queimada Archaeological Park in Ouro Preto, MG – Brazil. This project is coordinated by IPHAN and is supported by national and international institutions, as well as religious bodies, NGOs and community associations. It was formally proposed by the Museu de Arte Sacra do Carmo, and was approved by the Conselho Nacional de Incentivo à Cultura – CNIC (National Committee for the Promotion of Culture), under the auspices of MinC – the Federal Ministry for Culture of Brazil. The Morro da Queimada (“Burnt Hill”) is a place of memory, not only because it is intimately linked to the Rebellion of Vila Rica of 1720, but also because it is located on the plateau where mining began in Brazil, an economic activity that gave birth to the City of Ouro Preto. In this city occurred the earliest truly national artistic stirrings, and from which were disseminated the first ideas for independence, facts which have ensured that it is considered the cradle of the Brazilian national identity.