Global Treasures: Paraty

Television Director: Ullman, Frank

Producer: Scarson, Peter O.

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Catalogue Number: GTR-DVD-1296

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Global Treasures - History's Most Protected Monuments - Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live today, and what we pass on to future generations. Our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration. Places as unique and diverse as the wilds of East Africa's Serengeti, the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Baroque cathedrals of Latin America make up our world's heritage. Join us as we explore one of these protected monuments.

On the Costa Verde between Rio De Janeiro and Sao Paolo is a gem of Brazil's past colonial times, Paraty. It continues to be protected by the rusty old cannons and dense walls of the Forte Defensor Perpetuo that is situated just outside the town. The Guaiana Indios once lived in this region and offered timber and spices to the first European seafarers that came to the region.

In the nineteenth century, coffee and sugarcane were successfully grown in the region around Paraty. This brought a period of prosperity, and in 1863 there were about a hundred and fifty distilleries.

Colourful times introduced much flamboyant architecture, and Paraty became the colonial treasure that it is today.