Centrally located between Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, Paraty (pronounced para-chee) has beckoned artistic transplants for decades with its natural wonders, lively restaurants and historic town center.

Brazilian photographer Joana França is enamored by Paraty’s “windows, the colorful doors, the lamps, the cobblestone streets, the way nature is present in the city,” she shares.

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On her most recent visit photographing the town, “I wanted to show the facades well lit by the abundant sun, let the shadows from the house lamps draw the white facades, see the colors of the windows and doors pop,” Joana adds. These aspects inspire her photography. “It is a city that has a reduced scale. The streets are narrow and the facades are low. A more welcoming scale,” she explains.

Paraty is distinct for its low-rise, white limestone buildings punctuated by numerous jewel-toned windows and doors. Neither the limestone nor plethora of windows and doors are random, but in fact designed to keep interiors cool. Popular accent colors, including yellow, green, garnet and blue aren’t entirely random either, as the Freemason influence–which refers to the local guilds of stonemasons–is an integral part of Paraty’s design history, dictated hydrangea blue. Their influence is also evident in cryptic symbols painted on buildings around town. According to Joana, “The Freemasons placed geometric figures to recognize each other.”

Thanks to the historic center’s car-free streets, It’s easy to wander around its 33 blocks and study the various clues to Paraty’s past. Just be careful walking around the uneven cobblestones, guaranteed to thwart anyone not wearing flat soles and watching their step. The placement appears random, and various stories both confirm and deny that thought.

For all of these reasons, Paraty holds a special place in Joana’s heart. “It has the charm of a small town, but with great restaurants and inns. And there is the possibility of exploring the neighboring paradisiacal islands on a boat trip after exploring the city on foot.”

⁷^{Red doors, yellow frames and natural flora give this home its identity. Joana França}

Dag dag!