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The Palacio das Artes (entrance on Avenida Afonso Pena) is one of the finest modern buildings in the city, a complex of which the citizens of Belo Horizonte are justifiably proud. So much so that when parts of the palacio burned down in March 1997, reconstruction began barely a week later, and a mammoth benefit show was organized in the Mineirao football stadium to fund the repairs. Now fully restored, the palacio is divided into a number of well laid-out galleries (daily 9am-9pm; free), with exhibitions concentrating on modern Brazilian art, a couple of small theatres and one big one, the Grande Teatro , which suffered most in the fire. Though it's hard to believe in such a large city, the palacio has the only shop in Belo Horizonte where you'll come across a really good display of the distinctive artesanato of the state, in the Centro de Artesanato Mineiro (Mon 1-6pm, Tues-Fri 9am-9pm, Sat 9am-1pm, Sun 10am-2pm). A large shop rather than a gallery proper, it's nevertheless a place you can wander around and look without being pressured to buy. Although there's a lot of dross here, there is also some excellent pottery - stubby figurines and realistic clay tableaux. Distinctive though it is, you wouldn't be wrong in thinking that the best work looks Northeastern: it comes from the valley of the Rio Jequitinhonha in the sertao mineiro, and contains elements of both traditions. Hammocks, clothes, wall hangings and rugs, roughly woven from the cotton that grows in northern Minas, are also of a high quality. Despite the sleek surroundings, the prices here are reasonable: not more than twice what you'd pay where the work comes from.
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