[6] Other historical cities in Minas Gerais are São João del-Rei, Diamantina, Mariana, Tiradentes, Congonhas and Sabará.

18th- and 19th-century churches decorated with gold and the sculptured works of Aleijadinho make Ouro Preto a tourist destination.

Philosophy and art flourished, and evidence of a baroque revival called the "Barroco Mineiro" is illustrated in architecture as well as by sculptors such as Aleijadinho, painters such as Manoel da Costa Ataíde, composers such as Lobo de Mesquita, and poets such as Tomás António Gonzaga.

The leading figure, Joaquim José da Silva Xavier, known as Tiradentes, was hanged as a threat to any future revolutionaries.

Population: Data from the 2010 Census (IBGE) The city is linked by unlit winding roads to highways for: Bordering municipalities are: Located at 1,179 m (3,868 ft) above sea level, Ouro Preto has a subtropical highland climate (Cwb, according to the Köppen climate classification), with warm and humid summers and mild, dry winters.

Main economic activities are tourism, transformation industries, and mineral riches such as deposits of iron, bauxite, manganese, talc and marble.

Soapstone handicraft items are a common souvenir among tourists, and can be found in many shops in the city's town centre and street fairs.

[citation needed] Jewelry made of local precious and semi-precious gemstones (such as hematite) can also be found for sale.

There are repúblicas in which the freshmen, also known as "bixos" (misspelling of "bichos", Portuguese for "animals"), have to undergo a hazing period, called batalha (battle), before being accepted permanently as residents of the houses.

[11] The Museu Mineralógico da Escola de Minas (Mineralogy Museum) can be of special interest to visitors.

20, in the town's historical center, and contains a rich assortment of minerals on display, including precious and semi-precious gemstones and large crystals.

Ouro Preto is a major tourist destination, for its well-preserved colonial appearance with baroque architecture and cobblestone streets.

Ouro Preto was a setting in the comedy movie Moon over Parador (1988), with actors Richard Dreyfuss and Sonia Braga.