Pseudosections, geothermobarometric estimates and careful petrographic observations of gneissic migmatites and granulites from Neoproterozoic central Ribeira Fold Belt (SE Brazil)were performed in order to quantify the metamorphic P-T conditions during prograde and retrograde evolution of the Brasiliano Orogeny. Results establish a prograde metamorphic trajectory from amphibolite facies conditions to metamorphic peak (T = 850 ± 50°C; P = 8 ± 1 kbar) that promoted widespread dehydrationmelting of 30 to 40% of the gneisses and high-grade granitization. After the metamorphic peak, migmatites evolved with cooling and decompression to T ≈ 500°C and P ≈ 5 kbar coupled with a H2O increase, replacing the high-grade paragenesis plagioclase-quartz-K-feldspar-garnet by quartz-biotite-sillimanite-(muscovite). Cordierite absence, microtextural observations and P-T results constrain the migmatite metamorphic evolution in the pseudosections as a clockwise P-T path with retrograde cooling and decompression. Hightemperature conditions further dehydrated the lower crust with biotite and amphibole-dehydration melting and granulite formation coupled with 10% melt generation. Granulites can thus be envisaged as middle to lower crust dehydrated restites. Granulites were slowly (nearly isobarically) cooled, followed by late exhumation/ retrograde rapid decompression and cooling, reflecting a two step P-T path. This retrograde evolution, coupled with water influx, chemically reequilibrated the rocks from granulite to amphibolite/ greenschist facies, promoting the replacement of the plagioclasequartz-garnet-hypersthene peak assemblage by quartz-biotite-K-feldspar symplectites.