Belo Horizonte created and incorporated in Brazil

Background. In 1889, Brazil became a republic, and it was agreed that a new state capital, in tune with a modern and prosperous Minas Gerais, had to be established. The previous capital, Ouro Preto, was a symbol of the monarchic Brazilian Empire and the mining industry period. The region was first settled in the early 18th century, but the city as it is known today was planned and constructed in the 1890s to replace Ouro Preto as the capital of Minas Gerais.

Site Selection. In 1893, due to climatic and topographic conditions, Curral Del Rey was selected by Minas Gerais governor Afonso Pena among other cities as the location for the new economic and cultural center of the state. This location was given the new name of Cidade de Minas, or City of Minas. The selection process aimed to establish a modern capital in tune with the prosperous state.

Urban Planning. Aarão Reis, an urbanist from Pará, was chosen to design the second planned city of Brazil after Teresina. An interesting feature of Reis' downtown street plan for Belo Horizonte was the inclusion of a symmetrical array of perpendicular and diagonal streets named after Brazilian states and Brazilian indigenous tribes. The city was inaugurated in 1897 with many unfinished buildings as the Brazilian government set a deadline for its completion.