On August 17th, Brazil celebrated its National Heritage Day. Created in 1998 to honor the historian and first president of IPHAN (National Historic and Artistic Heritage Institute), Rodrigo Melo Franco de Andrade, who would have turned 100 years old. This date aims to reinforce the recognition and appreciation of the country?s cultural heritage.

Image: Roberto Rosa/Iphan/Reproduction

On August 17th, Brazil celebrated its National Heritage Day. Created in 1998 to honor the historian and first president of IPHAN (National Historic and Artistic Heritage Institute), Rodrigo Melo Franco de Andrade, who would have turned 100 years old. This date aims to reinforce the recognition and appreciation of the country?s cultural heritage.To celebrate heritage month, HAUS, an ArchDaily Brazil partner, selected 11 UNESCO World Heritage sites located on Brazilian soil. Historic Town of Ouro Preto
Image: Raquel Mendes Silva/Wikimedia Commons/Reproduction

The city of Ouro Preto (formerly Vila Rica), founded in 1691, was the first city in Brazil to be named a UNESCO World Heritage Site (1980). The city's structure is one of the most singular manifestations of Brazilian colonial architecture. Ouro Preto's religious architecture has a strong presence in the city, and is adorned with ceiling paintings, stonework, and gold details.According to IPHAN, the city is a "man-made masterpiece" that tells a “unique testimony of a cultural tradition.”&...