Welcome to Dona Brasil, the website on Brazil and the Brazilian culture!

The historic towns of Minas Gerais were built in the 18^th century when large amounts of gold and diamonds were found in this Brazilian state. Most of these cities are located in mountainous regions and were built in a typical kind of Baroque style that is know as the Baroque of Minas Gerais or the Barroco Mineiro. The most important colonial cities of Minas Gerais are Ouro Preto, Diamantina, Congonhas, Mariana, Tiradentes, São João del Rey, Sabará, Serro, Caeté and Santa Bárbara.

Read more on the historic cities of Minas Gerais!

Feijoada is often called the national dish of Brazil. It is a delicious stew made of beans and various types of meat. It is eaten with white rice and side dishes like farofa and couve mineira. As feijoada contains a lot of fat, it is often eaten with slices or pineapple or orange. Feijoada is eaten on a number of different occasions, for example on parties or during the weekend. In many restaurants, feijoada is served daily at lunch time.

Read the recipe of feijoada or read more recipes and background of the Brazilian cuisine!

The Amazon rainforest has an extremely high biodiversity and many of its plant and animal species are not yet known to science. It is one of the 6 biomes or vegetation zones of Brazil. About 60% of the Amazon forest is part of Brazil, the other 40% belongs to Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guiana, Suriname and French-Guyana. Most of the Amazon rainforest is found in the Amazon basin that is drained by the Amazon river and its more than 1000 tributaries.

Read more on the Amazon rainforest or read more on Brazilian wildlife...