| THE CYCLE OF GOLD |
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| The Paraty port was one of the liveliest during the Cycle of Gold |
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| The prospecting economically feasible of the gold in Brazil occurred as of 1695, when Paraty had only one pathway that attached Rio de Janeiro to the mines, in a marine and terrestrial course which lasted around forty days. Through his strategical position and in order to avoid the wrong pathways of gold and diamond smuggling, in 1702 the governor of Rio de Janeiro defines mandatory the use of Paraty port for the gold shipment coming from the "minas gerais". In 1703, it was created the "Casas de Registro" of Paraty and Santos, closing the other ones. Through the Santos Port were shipped the wealthies from Goiás and Mato Grosso and through the Paraty port was discharged the gold from"minas gerais". |
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| In order to protect the gold and the pathway for the mines against pirates, it was built in 1703 the Patitiba fortress, along with the river with the same name, and the fortress located in the current Morro do Forte. |
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| It is estimated that approximately more than a hundred fifty thousand portugueses arrived at Brazil in search of gold and just because it was an unique pathway for the mines, mandatorily they passed over Paraty. Limited geographically to develop the agriculture ,the village dedicated to trade activity. In that time, its port was the second liveliest of the country, losing only for Rio de Janeiro. |
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| In 1710, it was ready the "Caminho Novo" started by Garcia Rodrigues Paes in 1701, connecting Rio de Janeiro straight towards the mines, in a course of twenty five days shorter than the pathway through Paraty. The Track Guaianás or Facão that crossed over Paraty then was known as "Caminho Velho" and the pathway that connected the mines to Bahia, was the "Caminho do Sertão". In this year, in order to ease the control of extracted gold, it was forbidden the use of "Caminho Velho". However, due to the lack of nourishment which occured in the mines and the pressure of the "paritienses", the "Caminho Velho" was released again, but only for departure trips, being forbidden to come back through other pathway different from "Caminho Novo". |
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| One of the ways of "legalizing" the smuggling of gold was to transform the metal in jewels, goblets, sprays of perfums, brooches and other adornments. For better inspection of gold, the authorities concentrated every jeweler in only one street of Paraty. |
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| Paraty had six fortresses for protecting the gold. |
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| The upbringing of the "Casa do Quinto", quarters, inspection posts brought a great number of public employees for the village that began to be settled in the place. |
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| With the demand of products to provide the population from the mines, Paraty changed its status from a common center of distribution of goods - as salt coming from Pernambuco, olive-oil from, wine, copper cauldrons for "cachaça" production and manufactured coming from Europe - to producer of foodstuff (beans, corn, manioc flour , cheese, brown sugar,eggs, bacon, and several vegetables). The trade, the distribution of goods that came through vessels and the production of foodstuff were the support of the Paraty economy since its origin until the year of 1870. |
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| In fact, the gold in itself did not bring prosperity for the city. The period of the gold flowing off through Paraty port was short, around 15 years - period of the beginning of mines discovery and there wasn´t yet a great amount of metal. In the "Casa de Registro" of Paraty along with the mountain base there was only one sergeant,two soldiers and one notary to charge the "Quinto" (tax of 20% over the gold). |
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| In 1717, Paraty was described as a small village with less than 50 houses. There wasn´t a good port, therefore the shipment and unshipment were performed through the beach or river margins. Only in 1726, it was built a port, probably made of stone which also attended as a kind of trench in case of enemies attack. |
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| Graças
ao comércio gerado em função
do Ciclo do Ouro, ocorreu um crescimento econômico
e populacional na vila. Apesar do Caminho
Novo estar aberto desde 1710, ligando o Rio
de Janeiro direto às minas, o Caminho
Velho (via Paraty) era preferido para cargas
mais pesadas pois podia ser transportada em
lombo de burro, enquanto o Caminho Novo só
podia ser transportada por escravos, de tão
ruim que era aquela estrada (os melhoramentos
necessários só foram terminados
em 1767). Em 1722 é erguida a Igreja
de Santa Rita e em 1725 a Igreja do Rosário.
Em 1787 derruba-se novamente a Matriz para
se fazer uma maior e definitiva. Em 1790 já
havia 392 casas, sendo 35 sobrados, e a população
era de 6.622 habitantes. |
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| The gold was shipped in Paraty destined to Portugal |
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| In 1720, when the São Vicente Capitany was disassembled, Paraty became to belong the São Paulo Capitany.However, for geographical reasons, in 1726 the village comes to be a jurisdiction of Rio de Janeiro again. |
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| In 1728, the Perequê-Açu River, had its riverbed deviated and passed to discharge at Pontal beach (its current place) instead of Jabaquara beach. The old "Vila Velha" located at "Morro do Forte" where it began the colonization, was isolated by the new river course, so thus was left away and in 1800 it was observed only ruins and streaks of the houses that existed there. Other consequence of the Perequê-Açu riverbed change was the narrowing of this river margin with Patitiba river, leading to the sediments accumulation over the sea, and by this side, making the village advance over the sea (in old times the sea reached up to the Street Dona Geralda, thus it was called "Rua da Praia" (Crossed by the beach) and on the other hand, the port became shallower (the vessels were obliged to stop behind the "Mantimento" or "Bexiga" Island - only boats and "sumacas" could reach the port). |
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In 1725, it was opened the "Caminho Novo da Piedade" connecting by land São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Whether for opening reasons of new pathways, without passing by Paraty, or by the decreasing of gold mines, the correct is that from 1750 to 1800 there was a trade breakdown of the village. Despite of this breakdown, Paraty has kept as a foodstuff and "cachaça"* producer - it was considered the best of the colony - besides of being the distributor center of products coming from the villages of "Vale da Paraíba" with destiny to Rio de Janeiro. In this period, the unique positive fact for the "paratiense" economy was the change in 1763 of the capital of colony from Salvador to Rio de Janeiro.
*Cachaça - alcohol drink made by sugar cane |
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| PRODUÇÃO
MUNDIAL DE OURO |
| (valores
em toneladas) |
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| Período |
Brasil |
Demais
Países |
Total |
|
1600-1700 |
19 |
520 |
539 |
|
1701-1800 |
838 |
583 |
1421 |
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1801-1900 |
226 |
6614 |
6840 |
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