Vila Bela da Santíssima Trindade
Encyclopedia
Vila Bela da Santíssima Trindade is a Brazilian municipality in Mato Grosso
with 14,523 (2009) inhabitants. It is located at upper Guaporé River
close to the border with Bolivia
. It served as the capital of the Captaincy
of Mato Grosso from 1752 to 1820.
Today due the to fact that most inhabitants descend from former African slaves the town creates the impression of a town in the African jungle rather than in one the Amazon jungle. The distinct African feeling is also reflected in a yearly festival called Festa do Congo. One of its main events is the Dança do Congo, which is performed at the ruins of the former igreja matriz (a particular type of Portuguese church). Aside from those church ruins, which are the main tourist site of the town, there is a small history museum as well. The town serves as a hub for trips to the Amazon jungle along the upper Guaporé River
and the nearby nature reserve Parque Estadual da Serra de Ricardo Franco. One of the main attractions of the latter is the Cascata dos Namorados (engl. Valentine
Cascades).
Mato Grosso
Mato Grosso is one of the states of Brazil, the third largest in area, located in the western part of the country.Neighboring states are Rondônia, Amazonas, Pará, Tocantins, Goiás and Mato Grosso do Sul. It also borders Bolivia to the southwest...
with 14,523 (2009) inhabitants. It is located at upper Guaporé River
Guaporé River
Rio Guaporé is the name of a river in western Brazil along the Bolivian border. Its Bolivian name is Río Iténez.The river has its source in the Brazilian Mato Grosso circa 150 km northeast of Pontes e Lacerda. From this town on it flows in a westerly direction for about 120 km, where at...
close to the border with Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
. It served as the capital of the Captaincy
Captaincy
A captaincy is a historical administrative division of the former Spanish and Portuguese colonial empires. Each was governed by a captain general.-In the Portuguese Empire:...
of Mato Grosso from 1752 to 1820.
Today due the to fact that most inhabitants descend from former African slaves the town creates the impression of a town in the African jungle rather than in one the Amazon jungle. The distinct African feeling is also reflected in a yearly festival called Festa do Congo. One of its main events is the Dança do Congo, which is performed at the ruins of the former igreja matriz (a particular type of Portuguese church). Aside from those church ruins, which are the main tourist site of the town, there is a small history museum as well. The town serves as a hub for trips to the Amazon jungle along the upper Guaporé River
Guaporé River
Rio Guaporé is the name of a river in western Brazil along the Bolivian border. Its Bolivian name is Río Iténez.The river has its source in the Brazilian Mato Grosso circa 150 km northeast of Pontes e Lacerda. From this town on it flows in a westerly direction for about 120 km, where at...
and the nearby nature reserve Parque Estadual da Serra de Ricardo Franco. One of the main attractions of the latter is the Cascata dos Namorados (engl. Valentine
Saint Valentine
Saint Valentine is the name of several martyred saints of ancient Rome. The name "Valentine", derived from valens , was popular in Late Antiquity...
Cascades).
External links
- Vila Bela da Santíssima Trindade - entry at the community pages of the state Mato Grosso
- VILA BELA DA SANTISSIMA TRINDADE - 1º Capital de Mato Grosso – blog entry with information and pictures of Vila Bela and its surroundings
- Vila Bela da Santíssima Trindade - pictures of Vila Bela and its surroundings at PanoramioPanoramioPanoramio is a geolocation-oriented photo sharing website. Accepted photos uploaded to the site can be accessed as a layer in Google Earth and Google Maps, with new photos being added at the end of every month. The site's goal is to allow Google Earth users to learn more about a given area by...