Anais

The country around Montes Claros lies in the northern Minas Gerais backlands, between wooded hills and the valleys draining toward the São Francisco. Antônio Gonçalves Figueira received a land grant here in 1707 and established the Fazenda de Montes Claros. The settlement that grew around the estate became known as Montes Claros de Formigas and was raised to the status of a town in 1831.