Cidade Velha (Belém)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Old Town"
Cidade Velha | |
|---|---|
Historic district | |
 Portuguese-style houses and colorful tiles are the backdrop for one of Belém's most historic and important neighborhoods: the Cidade Velha | |
 Coat of arms | |
 Interactive map of "Old Town" | |
| Coordinates: 1°27′18″S 48°30′16″W / 1.45500°S 48.50444°W | |
| Area | |
• Total | 80.8 ha (200 acres) |
| Population (2010) | |
• Total | 12.128 |
| • Density | 8.788/km2 (22.76/sq mi) |
Cidade Velha, initially called Mairi,[1][2][3] Cidade or Sé neighborhood,[4] is a historic area of the capital of Pará, Belém, founded in the 1620s.[5] It is the first and oldest neighborhood in the city, originated from the Portuguese colonial settlement Feliz Lusitânia[1][6] and the construction of the wooden fortress Forte do Presépio,[2][7][8][9] at the mouth of the Piry creek,[10] by Portuguese Captain-Mor Francisco Caldeira Castelo Branco, on January 12, 1616.[1][9] He had the goal of occupying the Conquista do Pará (now Pará State) in the then Captaincy of Maranhão, ensuring the dominance of the region and the drogas do sertão (spices of the region).[2][11]
This area is the "historic center" of Belém, which houses the architectural complex Feliz Lusitânia that grew along the banks of the Guamá River since the city's foundation. Nowadays it has countless buildings of colonial architecture, and many old buildings that are listed as heritage by IPHAN (Instituto do Patrimônio Histórico e Artístico Nacional).[12] With the wealth derived from the Rubber Cycle (1800/1900), European luxury was brought to Belém, present until today in the façades and structures of this area. They are a link between the origin of Belém's population and the present day.[13]
Its streets have names of cities or personalities (Portuguese and Brazilian), such as Avenida Portugal, Rua de Aveiro, Cidade Irmã, Rua de Óbidos, Rua de Breves, Rua Doutor Assis, Rua Doutor Malcher, Rua Siqueira Mendes, Avenida Almirante Tamandaré, Rua Ângelo Custódio, Rua Félix Roque, Rua Padre Champagnat, Boulevard Castilhos França.
European colonization (Feliz Lusitânia)
The region where Belém is located was initially the indigenous region of Mairi, home to the Tupinambá and Pacajá (under the command of cacique Guaimiaba),[1][2][3] a trading post for the Marajoara cacique, where in 1580, the Portuguese arrived with the military expedition Feliz Lusitânia, commanded by Captain Francisco Caldeira Castelo Branco and established a colonial nucleus (at the behest of the King of the Iberian Union and of the Philippine Dynasty, Manuel I).[1][9] They aimed to occupy the Conquista do Pará, also called the Empire of the Amazonas (1615-1621, located in the then Captaincy of Maranhão), and ensure dominance in eastern Amazon and of spices of the region, which foreigners disputed.[2][3][11] Thus, they created on January 12, 1616, at the mouth of the Piry creek, the Portuguese colonial settlement (villa) Feliz Lusitânia[1][6] along with a fort called Forte do Presépio,[2][7][8][9] that contained the chapel of the patron saint Our Lady Santa Maria de Belém (now the Metropolitan Cathedral).[1]
Battles against foreigners and natives
In the settlement began a period of battles against foreigners (Dutch, English, French) to secure dominance of the region and against the indigenous peoples, in a process of colonization and enslavement trying to implement an economic model based on the exploitation of indigenous labor and primary resources.[1][2][9]
Many Indian revolts occurred until July 1620, when Bento Maciel Parente, sergeant major of the Cabo Norte Captaincy, attacked the village of the Tapajó Indians, decimating them and dominating the Conquista do Pará.[9][14] With the victory, Conquista do Pará was elevated to the category of Captaincy[7][15] and the colonial settlement was elevated to the category of municipality under the name "Santa Maria de Belém do Pará" or "Nossa Senhora de Belém do Grão Pará" (later "Santa Maria de Belém do Grão Pará", until the current Belém)[1][16][2][17] when the first streets of the region were built,[9] originating the first neighborhood baptized "Cidade" (current Cidade Velha neighborhood).[2]
Streets
First streets
Initially, the settlement of Feliz Lusitânia was an island, as it was surrounded by the Piry creek and its tributaries. The location was landfilled in 1803.[10]
- The first street, created in the 1620s, began at the Presépio Fort and was named Rua do Norte or Ladeira do Castelo, now called Rua Siqueira Mendes, in honor of the president of the province at the time of 1868, the canon and politician Manuel José de Siqueira Mendes.[18][19][10]
- The second street was called Espirito Santos, being renamed to Rua Doutor Assis in honor of the Pará journalist and physician Joaquim José de Assis (founder of the newspaper A Província do Pará).[10][20]
- The third street was called Rua dos Cavaleiros, being renamed to Rua Doutor Malcher in honor of the physician and former governor of the capital José da Gama Malcher.[10]
- The fourth street created was called Rua São João, renamed to João Diogo Street in honor of the politician João Diogo Clemente.[10]
Main streets
List of the main streets and avenues in the neighborhood:
- Avenida Almirante Tamandaré.
- Rua do Aveiro, Cidade Irmã.
- Rua Ângelo Custódio (Rua Longa), built in the 1600s in honor of the lawyer and former governor of the then Pará Province, Ângelo Custódio Corrêa.[10]
- Rua de Breves.
- Rua Doutor Assis.
- Rua Doutor Malcher.
- Rua Félix Rocque (Rua das Rosas, Rua da Residência, Rua da Vigia).[10]
- Rua Joaquim Távora (caminho do Atalaia, Rua Demétrio Ribeiro).[10]
- Rua Gurupá (travessa da Barroca).[10]
- Rua Rodrigues dos Santos, homage to the physician and former capital intendant Manoel Waldomiro Rodrigues dos Santos (Rua Alfama, Rua Santarém).[10]
- Rua de Óbidos.
- Rua Padre Champagnat (Rua da Calçada do Colégio, Rua Antonio Raiol), homage to Father Marcelino José Bento Champagnat.[10]
- Rua Siqueira Mendes.
- Travessa Monte Alegre.
