Estrada Real

Estrada Real(Portuguese pronunciation:[(e)sˈtɾadɐʁeˈaw],Royal Road) was anepithetapplied to the roads built and maintained by thePortuguese Crownboth inPortugalitself and in thePortuguese overseas territories.
Presently it is used to designate a set ofcolonial-eratourist roads inBrazil.
The name refers to the land that Portuguese colonial administrators had chosen to improve communication, settlement, and the economic exploitation of Brazil’s resources and of its other colonies. To protect colonial assets from piracy and smuggling, these roads became the only authorized paths for the movement of people and goods. Opening other routes constituted a crime oflèse-majesté. It was similar to the Spanish "Caminos Reales" (Royal Paths) or Spanish colonial Puerto Rico's "Carretera Militar" (Military Roads), which ensured the flow of goods and the movement of troops in the colonies.
From the second half of the eighteenth century, there was a decline in mineral production in the captaincy ofMinas Gerais, the main source of gold mining in Brazil at the time, that led to an increase of fiscal policy and local dissatisfaction with the crown which culminated in a failedindependence movementin 1789. Later on, with theIndependence of Brazilin the early nineteenth century, these paths became free, thus building, with the wealth provided by coffee plantations, the main thrust of urbanization inBrazil's southeast.
Beginning circa 1697, Portuguese colonists in Brazil began using slave labor to build the road. This was shortly after gold, diamonds, and other precious minerals were discovered in the present-daystate of Minas Gerais. The road's purpose was to facilitate the transport of the minerals from the interior to the coast and thence toLisbon. The original road —Caminho Velho— began inParatyand went north through the towns ofSão João del-Rei,Tiradentes,Coronel Xavier Chaves,Congonhas, Itatiaia (today a district ofOuro Branco) and, ultimately, Vila Rica (today'sOuro Preto). Later, the distance to Ouro Preto was shortened by theCaminho Novo, which started inRio de Janeiro. The road was extended northward throughMariana,Catas Altas,Santa Bárbara,Barão de Cocais, Ipoema (today a district ofItabira),Conceição do Mato Dentro,Serro, São Gonçalo do Rio das Pedras (today a district of Serro), and, at the northernmost point,Diamantina. The length of both roads combined is about 1,400 km (870 mi).
Transportation along the road was tightly controlled by agents of the crown to preventsmugglingand unauthorized movement. Goods were transported inmule trainsknown astropas, led bytropeiros, mule drivers. Products from Portugal made their way up the road while minerals made their way to the coast, as manufacturing and many crops were prohibited by the crown so as to keep the region economically dependent on Portugal. Many of Brazil'shearty dishes, such asfeijão tropeiroandtutu, were originally prepared by thetropeiros, who needed food that could be transported withoutspoiling.
The towns along the Estrada Real wereopulentin the days of gold and diamonds, but by the end of the 18th century, the minerals became more scarce and the localeconomydeclined. Recent efforts by governmental and non-governmental organizations turned the Estrada Real into a tourist route. The road is still mostly unpaved, and the towns and villages along the way appear much the way they did in the 19th century. Many colonial churches still stand in towns that have been economically stagnant for over a century. The tourism initiative is educating people to retain their traditional ways and preserve theBaroque architectureof their old churches and government buildings.