The up-and-coming mining capital in Brazil’s Center-West

In the 16th century, the pioneering journeys to occupy inland Brazil were fueled by a thirst for minerals and precious metals — gold, in particular. Setting off from São Paulo, the so-called “bandeirantes” rode, cut, slaved, and explored their way through the untouched territories of Brazil’s interior, opening up paths through mountains and forests. Often they would come across rivers with alluvial gold deposits, with pieces of the metal that were large enough to be collected by hand.

The majority of these deposits were found in what is now the state of Minas Gerais — or “general mines,” as it was called, due to its apparent mineral wealth.

These discoveries kicked off a wave of migration and made Minas Gerais the largest supplier of wealth to the colonial rulers in Portugal. Until today, Brazilian gold can be seen in many of the country’s churches.

The demand for gold was such that the deposits were quickly exhausted for the extractive techniques available at the time, leading the bandeirantes to ride on in search of new lands, decimating indigenous populations as they went.

The next stop was the land of Goiás, now the most populous state in Brazil’s Center-West region. With its more hostile terrain, the Goiás gold rush...