São Thomé das Letras
Encyclopedia
São Thomé das Letras is a small town in the south-end of Minas Gerais
state in southeastern Brazil
, 35 km east of Três Corações
city. Its population in 2008 was of 6,880 inhabitants.
São Thomé das Letras has a large number of waterfalls, natural jungle (known as "Mata Atlântica
") and cave systems.
Such fact generated the posterior emancipation of the slave from its owner, who was greatly amazed by the facts and story the slave brought to him. The baron afterwards commanded the construction of a church beside of the related grotto, that today meets in what it is the center of São Thomé das Letras.
deposit - known as rock-of-saint-thome (widely used in the edge pavement of swimming pools) that they had been used in the construction of some houses in the town, the stone pavement of the streets and currently heavily used in the elaboration of local handcrafts, like small houses made of rock sold as souvenir to tourists.
It's privileged localization with its rustic and typically "mineiro" countryside style, in point mountainous and raised the 1,440 meters above sea level (allowing the view of practically an all the enclosed region around, valleys and mountains), makes with that the town is preferred destination of many enthusiastic tourists of the nature and people who likes arts in general, having been also scene for an old novel of the extinct Manchete TV, called "Pantanal".
There are a lot of "must be seen attrations": the Grotto of São Thomé, Carimbado Grotto, Pyramid House (a mysterious and them-currently abandoned Scorpio-shaped quartzite house), rock formations - of the Witch it is most famous, constructions in rock and the waterfalls - Shangri-lá, Eubiose, Veil of Fiancé (Véu da Noiva), Paradise and of the Moon, among others.
Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais is one of the 26 states of Brazil, of which it is the second most populous, the third richest, and the fourth largest in area. Minas Gerais is the Brazilian state with the largest number of Presidents of Brazil, the current one, Dilma Rousseff, being one of them. The capital is the...
state in southeastern Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, 35 km east of Três Corações
Três Corações
Três Corações is a city in the south of Minas Gerais state in Brazil. Founded in 1760, the city has a population of about 70,000 and covers 826.0 km². The elevation is 864 m and the postal code is 37410-000...
city. Its population in 2008 was of 6,880 inhabitants.
Economic activities
The major economic activity is stone mining and natural tourism deeply focused on the alternative lifestyle.São Thomé das Letras has a large number of waterfalls, natural jungle (known as "Mata Atlântica
Mata Atlântica
The Atlantic Forest is a region of tropical and subtropical moist forest, tropical dry forest, tropical savanna, semi deciduous forest and mangrove forests which extends along the Atlantic coast of Brazil from Rio Grande do Norte state in the north to Rio Grande do Sul state in the south, and...
") and cave systems.
History
The name of the town was based in a legend of a black slave that found a statue of Saint Thomas with a letter of perfect writing and superb caligraph (impossible to an illiterate, untrained slave), in a grotto, after fleeing the plantation farm where he was kept captive, belonging to the powerful Baron of Alfenas (a rich landlord).Such fact generated the posterior emancipation of the slave from its owner, who was greatly amazed by the facts and story the slave brought to him. The baron afterwards commanded the construction of a church beside of the related grotto, that today meets in what it is the center of São Thomé das Letras.
Geological Features
São Thomé das Letras is a typically provincial locality, built on a wide mineral quartziteQuartzite
Quartzite is a hard metamorphic rock which was originally sandstone. Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tectonic compression within orogenic belts. Pure quartzite is usually white to gray, though quartzites often occur in various shades of pink...
deposit - known as rock-of-saint-thome (widely used in the edge pavement of swimming pools) that they had been used in the construction of some houses in the town, the stone pavement of the streets and currently heavily used in the elaboration of local handcrafts, like small houses made of rock sold as souvenir to tourists.
It's privileged localization with its rustic and typically "mineiro" countryside style, in point mountainous and raised the 1,440 meters above sea level (allowing the view of practically an all the enclosed region around, valleys and mountains), makes with that the town is preferred destination of many enthusiastic tourists of the nature and people who likes arts in general, having been also scene for an old novel of the extinct Manchete TV, called "Pantanal".
There are a lot of "must be seen attrations": the Grotto of São Thomé, Carimbado Grotto, Pyramid House (a mysterious and them-currently abandoned Scorpio-shaped quartzite house), rock formations - of the Witch it is most famous, constructions in rock and the waterfalls - Shangri-lá, Eubiose, Veil of Fiancé (Véu da Noiva), Paradise and of the Moon, among others.