museum · Ouro Preto, MG
Casa dos Contos
A townhouse built between 1782 and 1784 by the contractor João Rodrigues de Macedo, later the Crown's tax collection office and gold foundry. Linked to the Inconfidência Mineira (a 1789 independence plot), it is where the poet Cláudio Manuel da Costa died, and today it is a museum.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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About Casa dos Contos
The Casa dos Contos is one of the most beautiful colonial townhouses in Ouro Preto and today is a museum. It is on Rua São José, next to the Ponte dos Contos (bridge), over the stream that runs through the historic center.
The mansion was built between 1782 and 1784 by the contractor João Rodrigues de Macedo, who collected taxes for the Crown and lived there. It later became the tax collection office and gold foundry, which is where the name (contos, accounts) comes from. At the time of the Inconfidência Mineira (a 1789 independence plot) it served as a prison: it was there that the conspirator poet Cláudio Manuel da Costa died, in 1789.
The museum displays coins from colonial and imperial Brazil, the history of gold smelting and, in the basement, the old slave quarters, with objects linked to slavery. The building itself, one of the finest examples of a colonial house in town, is worth the visit.
It is a short, relaxed visit, easy to fit in between Praça Tiradentes and the Pilar neighborhood.
Before you go
Practical information
How much time to set aside
Half an hour to 45 minutes lets you see the rooms, the slave quarters in the basement and the building at a relaxed pace.
Best time
Any time of year and any time during opening hours, since the visit is indoors; from April to September it rains less in Ouro Preto.
How to get there
It is on Rua São José, next to the Ponte dos Contos (bridge), in the historic center. From Praça Tiradentes you can walk down in a few minutes.
Tip
After the visit, cross the Ponte dos Contos and follow Rua São José to the Matriz do Pilar: it is one of the most beautiful stretches of the center to walk.
A look at the place
Casa dos Contos in pictures
These pictures are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs. They may differ from the place.
Click the picture to enlarge it.
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Casa dos Contos
What is in the Casa dos Contos?
A museum with coins from colonial and imperial Brazil, the history of gold smelting and the old slave quarters in the basement, as well as the 18th-century mansion itself.
Is there an entrance fee for the Casa dos Contos?
Check on site: admission terms and hours may change.
How long does the visit take?
Half an hour to 45 minutes.
Where is the Casa dos Contos?
On Rua São José, next to the Ponte dos Contos (bridge), in the historic center of Ouro Preto, a few minutes' walk from Praça Tiradentes.
What is the connection between the Casa dos Contos and the Inconfidência Mineira?
The mansion served as a prison for members of the Inconfidência (a 1789 independence plot), and it is where the poet Cláudio Manuel da Costa died, in 1789.