Case file · Anomaly hotspot
São Thomé das Letras, the 'mystic city'
Legend says that in the late 18th century an escaped slave, João Antão, found an image of Saint Thomas in a cave in the hills of southern Minas Gerais, together with a perfectly written letter that won him his freedom. A church was built beside the cave, and red rock markings there gave the town its name.
1785 CE · -21.72, -44.98 · status: legend
The account
The town is now known for UFO watching and for the belief that it sits on one of the Earth's 'energy points', drawing mystics and esoteric groups. The saint's image was stolen from the church in 1991. The year is approximate.
The sceptical view
The 'letters' are natural iron-oxide markings or Indigenous rock art, and the UFO reports are mostly lights seen by tourists.