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Shelter of History
Cachoeira do Campo (waterfall of the
countryside) is not only the largest of the rural
districts of Ouro Preto. Its past of glory and important
historic events places this district definitively in the
historical scene of all Minas Gerais. Most of its
architectural richness does not exist any more.
Nonetheless, imposing ruins and remnant constructions
resist the passing of time, attesting the majesty of
an era.
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The great bandeirante explorer
Fernão Dias Paes - the Emerald Hunter from
São Paulo - was probably the first one to
reach a beautiful waterfall as he progressed
his way along the vast countryside. This was
presumably around the year 1675, well before
the fabulous mines of the Tripuí creek were
discovered. It is believed that the first
adventurer to get settled in the place was
Manuel de Mello. Others followed suit later
on, mainly after the discovery of the gold
deposits. The more immigrants, the more
mouths to be fed. And Minas Gerais'
agricultural produce was not enough at the
time, because many farmers had abandoned
their activities to dedicate themselves to
gold extraction. In this course, in 1700,
a serious food shortage had developed.
Cachoeira do Campo answered the crisis
and became a regional agricultural center.
A powerful aristocracy consolidated itself,
with enough influence and money to build
sumptuous constructions even by today's
standards. Pomp and luxury made Cachoeira
their dwelling place and it was not long
before political power also spotted it as
a residential quarter.
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Those many diverse interests
eventually turn the settlement into a stage for
important conflicts during the 18th century. The
first of these was the bloody Guerra dos Emboadas
war (1707-1709), involving the paulistas settlers
originated from São Paulo and the other non-paulistas
immigrants, the emboabas. Both fought for control of
the mines. The revolt spread into other settlements
as well, but due to its importance Cachoeira played
host to the decisive battle. Manuel Nunes Viana,
leading the emboabas, got the better of it. He was
acclaimed the first governor of Minas Gerais, and
probably inaugurated in office in the main church
of Our Lady of Nazaré, in Cachoeira. He was also
the first one in the Americas to be installed in
power by the will of the people. Its task,
however, did not last long. As a consequence of
the conflict, the Portuguese Crown determined
the establishment of the Province of São Paulo
and of the Gold Mines (1709). Chief-Captain
Antônio de Albuquerque was officially appointed
governor and the village of Mariana chosen as
its capital.
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The moods got worse again
some years later, in 1720. Felipe dos Santos,
a miner in Vila Rica, led a revolt against
the establishing of Casas de Fundição (Royal
Casting Mills) intended to collect for the
Portuguese Crown one fifth of all the
extracted gold. It was the Sedição de
Vila Rica (Sedition), that managed to get
the sympathy from several sectors of the
population. The most important episode of
the revolt took place in Cachoeira do
Campo's main church plaza: the arrest
of Felipe dos Santos, while arising the
people. He was sentenced to death. There
remain controversies on his execution:
whether he was hanged and had his body
dismembered into pieces or else he was
tied to horses that dragged him on a
wild ride along the streets. As a
consequence of the upheaval, the
Governor of the mining territories,
Conde (Count) de Assumar, determined
the dismemberment of the captainship
in two parts. And so was established
the Province of Minas Gerais.
While the town village of Vila Rica was made
the capital of the new province, Cachoeira do Campo would
become the official residence of the governor. In this way,
the decisions would be made in a more tranquil mood, far
from the cross-fired opinions and interests proper of the
capital. The countryside palace of the governor was a
sumptuous construction. Reports of the time describe it as matchless,
endowed with the most valuable refinements.
Unfortunately the building does not exist any more. The
grandiosity of its remains, however, act as a testimony
of that golden era.
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Interesting facts of the Inconfidência
Mineira revolutionary plot took place in Cachoeira
do Campo. The military cavalry headquarters, where
Tiradentes was comissioned, was an important shelter
for the planned revolution. A battalion would leave
the quarters with the mission of arresting the
governor, Visconde (Viscount) de Barbacena, and
seize power. The governor spent most of his time
in his manor in Cachoeira. From one of the bell
towers of church Our Lady das Dores - sometimes
used for secret meeting of the inconfidentes - it
was possible to keep watch unnoticed on the
external comings-and-goings activities of the
palace. But things did not work out as planned:
Joaquim Silvério dos Reis, a fellow inconfidente,
betrayed the libertarian would-be revolution. It
was the end of a dream that was to be reborn 30
years later, with the Independence of Brazil (1822).
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