ABSTRACT
Around 1695 the governor of Rio de Janeiro received substantiated reports of major gold strikes within his jurisdiction, at Rio das Velhas in the region referred to in official correspondence initially as the mines of Sào Paulo’. For almost three centuries following the discovery of Brazil in 1500 the Portuguese court was flooded with reports of fabulous gold strikes in Brazil. These discoveries of gold gave rise to two developments as unforeseen as they were confusing to the crown. More positively, the successful discovery of gold led to a careful scrutiny of old routes into the interior (roteiros paulistas), in some cases dating back to the sixteenth century, and intensified exploration which resulted in the discovery of mineral resources other than gold. The discovery and subsequent exploitation of gold were to have immediate and far-reaching repercussions not only on the society and economy of Brazil but also on the mother country and her political and economic position within Europe.
