The book AS CORES ORIGINAIS: UM ESTUDO SOBRE OURO PRETO is the result of research conducted between 2024 and 2025 to identify the color palette of facades within the city's protected urban perimeter. The information presented is based on an in-depth study of archival documentation regarding construction projects carried out over Ouro Preto's more than three centuries of history, the analysis of photographs from various historical periods, a review of technical texts on Brazilian architecture and methodologies for chromatic studies, and interviews with Ouro Preto residents. These data were cross-referenced with the results of extensive fieldwork, which documented the various layers of color on houses in the historic center through stratigraphic surveys (removing small layers of paint) and chromatic readings (colorimetry). Consequently, the publication records the history of the exploration and use of lime and mineral pigments in Ouro Preto, while also providing guidance for selecting facade colors that harmonize with the characteristics of the protected historic center.
Introduction: The Original Colors (p.14)
Chapter 1: The Colors of Ouro Preto's Civil Architecture (p.16)
Chapter 2: The Colored Earths of Ouro Preto (p.42)
Chapter 3: Architecture and Chromatic Harmony (p.80)
Final Considerations (p.90)
References (p.94)
APPENDIX 1: Chromatic Palettes of the Historic Center Facades in Ouro Preto (p.113)
APPENDIX 2: Chromatic Composition Studies Based on the Palettes Identified in the Research (p.125)
