Paraty, Brazil in my 7 Continents Altered Book

Today I'm joining Sheila, our October host of Art Journal Journey with another architecture based entry in my 7 continents altered book.

Some of you may remember we recently visited the beaches of Ilha Grande.  Paraty is on Ilha Grande's western bay.  This is a colonial town steeped in both history and lovely old architecture.

I'm determined to bring back and use all those decorative scissors I bought years ago.  This one is by Provo Craft.  I was also determined to use my gelli prints before I forgot about them.

Apparently the Brazilian Mullet return each year to spawn in the waters around Paraty.

The bay is surrounded by mountains with lush jungles.  Behind Paraty you will find a plethora of tropical forests, mountains, and waterfalls.  Don't you just adore those palm trees?
Side two really showcases both the history and architecture.

There are many beaches in and around Paraty, which is located on the Costa Verde or Green Coast, a lush, green tropical corridor that runs nearly the length of the coastline of the state of Rio.

Although colonial history runs rampant here, the Brazilian government has recognized Paraty as a National Historic Site since 1966.

I rotated the above photo such that you could read that sugar cane was an important export in the 1700s.  In the 1700s, Paraty had another name: Cachaça, which is a distilled drink made from sugarcane juice.  It is often added to rum, which Paraty became famous for.

The colonial center is remarkable for its centuries-old architecture, as well as its cobblestone streets. 

No motor vehicles are allowed, and they wouldn't survive very long on those cobblestones, anyway.  Lonely Planet describes the architecture this way:

Elegant white buildings adorned with fanciful multihued borders and latticed windows blend harmoniously with the natural beauty that envelops the town.

In the 1800s gold was found in the area. When shipments in Rio began to attract the attention of pirates, the Portuguese began using Paraty as their safe port for getting their gold to Lisbon.   Thus a Gold Trail was built between Rio and Paraty.   However, getting the gold to Paraty proved cumbersome since it was paved with large cobblestones by African slaves.   Not only was the Gold Trail used to transport gold to Paraty, it was also used to send supplies, miners, and above mentioned African slaves by mule train over the mountains to and from the gold mining areas.  When a new road was built to another port, Paraty was all but forgotten.  This neglect is what kept so many of the colonial buildings the same as when the last gold-laden ship sailed for Portugal.

Today there are two sections of the Gold Trail used by hikers.  The Gold Trail was submitted for inclusion to the World Heritage List in August, 2004.

Here is one final look at side 1
and side 2 of this two page spread I created with one of my gelli printed used file folders.  I added pictures from several travel brochures, one of which I've had since 2005.  Information I found on the internet was compiled and printed, then cut using decorative scissors.  There wasn't much room for decorations, but I added a paper flower to side 1 and sticker alphas to side 2.

I learned a lot about this city where the only travel is by bicycle or foot.  I hope you learned a bit, too.  I also hope you visit Art Journal Journey where architecture plays such an important role in this altered entry today.  After all, Art Journal Journey has some absolutely STUNNING entries that will simply amaze you.

Thanks for visiting and thanks for joining me on this imaginary journey as I continue traveling through Brazil in South America.