Public Archive of Minas Gerais

(Former Belo Horizonte City Hall)

The building of the Public Archive of Minas Geraisis one of the remaining buildings erected by the Construction Commission of the New Capital in 1897. It is located on 372, João Pino avenue, former Liberty avenue, next to the Museum of Minas Gerais. It was registered in the Public Patrimony by the State Institute of Historical and Artistic Heritage of Minas Gerais (Iepha-MG) since 1975 and is part of the Liberty Square Cultural Circuit. It was built to be the residence of the Secretary of State for Finance, who moved to the building in 1900. Subsequently, from 1910 to 1938, it housed the Belo Horizonte City Hall, when, then, it was assigned to the Public Archive of Minas Gerais.

It is a retrograde construction of the alignment of the street, with gardens in the surroundings, masonry wall of half height and complemented by handrails. His eclectic style has changed little. It has many ornaments in relief on the facade, characteristic of neoclassical architecture, with parapet and handrail. The base, high, has a basement and the entrance, lateral, has a balcony. A few additions were incorporated (at the time it was the seat of the Municipality) and later in the 70s, an annex of four pavements was built on the ground, and was inaugurated in 1975.

The Public Archive of Minas Gerais was created by Law number 126, of July 11, 1895, when Ouro Preto was still the capital, and had other offices before being transferred, in 1901, to the City of Minas, current Belo Horizonte . In the new capital, it also occupied several branches until 1938. Initially subordinated to the Ministry of the Interior, then to the Secretary of State for Education, then to the Secretary of State for Government and, since 1983, it was transformed into a Superintendency of the Ministry of Culture.

Its purpose is the reception, classification and custody of documents related to legislation and public law, executive, history and geography, science, literature and arts in Minas Gerais. They are documents of public and private origin, of social interest. The collection is made up of manuscripts, printed documents, maps, plans, photographs, engravings, films, books, brochures and newspapers, produced since the 18th century, the Brazilian colonial period, up to the 21st century.

The current collection receives material from organs of the municipal and state administrations of Minas Gerais or acquired in other states of the federation and even from international archives. The Minas Gerais Public Archive also purchases the collections and receives donations from private collections of individuals and legal entities.

The consultation of the archives can be done in person or via internet. The organization publishes a magazine, the RAPM, from the year 1896 until today.