RELEASE ON OLINDA AND ITS HISTORICAL POINTS

Olinda is a Brazilian municipality in the state of Pernambuco. It belongs to the Metropolitan Region of Recife, six kilometers from the capital of Pernambuco.

Founded in 1535, Olinda is the oldest among Brazilian cities declared a Historical and Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, and was the second historic center in the country to receive this title, in 1982, after Ouro Preto. Despite the loss of character of part of its historic houses and the loss of several examples of 16th century architecture with the Dutch attack, Olinda houses dozens of baroque churches and convents of inestimable historical value, and maintains its colonial urban layout. It is a place of great importance in the history of Brazil.

Olinda was the richest city in Colony Brazil between the 16th century and the first decades of the 17th century, according to writers of the time such as Pero de Magalhães Gândavo, even being referred to as a "small Lisbon", given its opulence only comparable to that of the Portuguese court. It was developed around the old Duarte Coelho Castle, the first Brazilian strong house. It was the seat of colonial Brazil between 1624 and 1625 during the Dutch invasions: Matias de Albuquerque was appointed Governor General, administering the colony from Olinda.

The village remained prosperous until the Dutch invasion of the Captaincy of Pernambuco, when the Dutch, after removing the noble materials from the buildings to build their houses in the capital of Nova Holanda (Recife), set fire to Olinda. With the end of the Pernambucana Insurrection, Olinda was once again the headquarters of the captaincy, but without the influence of the past, which led to conflicts such as the War of the Peddlers. In the mid-19th century, the city was no longer the capital of Pernambuco. In 2006, Olinda was elected the first Brazilian Capital of Culture, after competing with the cities of Salvador and João Pessoa.

STORY:

Around the year 1000, the Tapuia Indians who inhabited the region were expelled to the interior of the continent by the arrival of Tupi peoples from the Amazon. In the 16th century, when the first Europeans arrived in the region, it was occupied by the Tupi tribe of the Caetés. Located in the current state of Pernambuco, it is one of the oldest Brazilian cities, having been founded (still as a village) in 1535 by the first grantee of the Captaincy of Pernambuco, the Portuguese Duarte Coelho. Duarte did everything for the development of the land: he founded the first sugar mill, developed agriculture and established a land registry.

The village was elevated to a village on March 12, 1537. Duarte Coelho ordered the construction of a building for the functioning of the Chamber of the Senate of Olinda, which was donated in 1676 to the first bishop of Olinda, Dom Estevam Brioso de Oliveira, which converted it into an episcopal palace, still well preserved today. Olinda was the seat of the captaincy of Pernambuco, but was set on fire by the Dutch due to its location. According to the Dutch concept of fortification, Olinda had a profile that was difficult to defend. Therefore, the headquarters was transferred to Recife.

In 1630, Olinda was taken by the Dutch, who set it on fire the following year; in 1654 the Portuguese regained power and expelled the Dutch. Olinda was once again the capital of Pernambuco, even though the governors resided in Recife. Around 1800, with the foundation of the Diocesan Seminary and, in 1828, of the Legal Course, it became a student village.

In some ways, Olinda rivaled the Portuguese metropolis. Its old houses had bronze hinges, while the churches, especially the Cathedral, had silver hinges and keys cast in gold on their main doors.

It was in the Senate of the Chamber of Olinda that, on November 10, 1710, Sergeant Major Bernardo Vieira de Melo gave the first cry for national independence.

The first legal courses in Brazil, created by the Imperial Decree of August 11, 1827, were solemnly inaugurated in the Monastery of São Bento, on May 15, 1828. Before their transfer to Recife, the legal courses were held in the building where it currently stands. if you find the city hall. In 1837, with the transfer of the provincial government to Recife, Olinda ceased to be the capital of Pernambuco.

In 1860, the French astronomer Emmanuel Liais discovered, at the Alto da Sé Observatory, the first comet reported from observations in Latin America and the only one discovered in Brazil, which received the name of Comet Olinda.

The Historic Center of Olinda, also called Cidade Alta, covers the historic area of the Brazilian municipality of Olinda, in the state of Pernambuco.

Almost a third of the total area of the municipality is listed. The preservation of this historic site began in the 1930s, when the main monuments were protected by tombstone. From then onwards, several actions were carried out in order to preserve all the historical, cultural and architectural heritage that still exists in the municipality. The site was declared a National Monument by the National Congress in 1980, and in 1982 it was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Olinda was the richest city in Colonial Brazil between the 16th and early 17th century according to writers of the time such as Pero de Magalhães Gandavo, even being referred to as a "small Lisbon", given its opulence only comparable to that of the Court Portuguese. It was the seat of colonial Brazil between 1624 and 1625 on the occasion of the first of the Dutch invasions: Matias de Albuquerque was appointed Governor General, administering the colony from Olinda. The village remained prosperous until the Dutch invasion of the Captaincy of Pernambuco, when the Dutch, after removing the noble materials from the buildings to build their houses in the capital of Nova Holanda (Recife), set fire to Olinda. With the end of the Pernambucana Insurrection, Olinda was once again the headquarters of the captaincy, but without the influence of the past, which led to conflicts such as the Peddlers' War. In the mid-19th century, the city was no longer the capital of Pernambuco.

Despite the loss of character of part of its historic houses and the loss of several examples of 16th century architecture with the Dutch attack, Olinda houses dozens of baroque churches and convents of inestimable historical value, and maintains its colonial urban layout. It is a place of great importance in the history of Brazil.

Founded in 1535 by Duarte Coelho, first grantee of the Captaincy of Pernambuco, on an elevated site that favored the defense of the population and control of the region, Olinda became the capital of Pernambuco and the main economic center of Brazil Colony in the 16th century, enriched with the sugar cane. In 1612, the village centralized the production of all Pernambuco's sugar mills, and such wealth motivated the invasion of the Dutch in 1630. A year later, being considered poorly located by the invaders, the village was abandoned and burned, and the capital was transferred to Recife, the old port of Olinda.

After the expulsion of the Dutch in 1654, Olinda began to be rebuilt. Almost nothing remained of the original buildings, with the Church of São João standing out among those that escaped the fire. However, an intense rivalry developed with Recife for political supremacy. Farmers and the Church wanted the capital to return to its former headquarters, but merchants preferred Recife as the capital because it had a port. Winning the first ones, Olinda returned to the status of capital. In 1676, the Diocese of Pernambuco was erected there and the town rose to the status of a city, spending the next hundred years involved in reconstruction and becoming an important cultural center.

The Cathedral Sé de Olinda, the largest 16th-century church in Brazil.

Igreja do Carmo de Olinda, first temple of the Order of Carmelites in the Americas.

In the 18th century, with the decline of the sugar economy, and facing the constant competition of Recife, which was increasingly prosperous, the city changed its profile, becoming a refuge for aristocrats, religious, students and people in search of their beaches for medicinal baths. In 1827 Recife became the capital again. Throughout the 19th century, the stagnation of the city is visible, which remains the same size as in the previous century. Its rebirth only took place in the 20th century, when its tourist potential began to be explored.

The city has an irregular layout, medieval influence, organically adapting to the curves of the terrain. Historic monuments are highlighted by the abundant tropical vegetation that survives among the urban fabric. There are a large number of churches, many of them with rich Baroque ornamentation in the interior, and their houses attest to the transformation of civil construction habits over the centuries, but the harmonious integration with the landscape was preserved and there are still expressive sections with the old urbanization 18th century colonial, with its traditional Portuguese houses, with stone or wooden balconies, contiguous facades and large backyards, adapted to the tropical climate of the place.

According to a description by UNESCO, which declared it a World Heritage Site, "the unique qualities of the Historic Center arise from the balance preserved between the buildings, public or private, and the gardens organized since the original division of the lots. It is a city of surprising views: one of the numerous Baroque churches or convents, or one of the many chapels on the steps, will appear every time we turn a corner.The elaborate refinements of the decoration of the main architectural structures contrast with the charming simplicity of the brightly painted houses or the facades covered with tiles".

Among the buildings currently in existence, the former chapel of the Jesuit College, today called Igreja da Graça, the Sé Cathedral of Olinda, the Basilica and Monastery of São Bento, the Convent of São Francisco, the Church of Nossa Senhora das Neves, the Church of Carmo de Olinda, Church of Nossa Senhora do Rosário dos Pretos and the former episcopal palace, today the Museum of Sacred Art of Pernambuco. In recent years, the municipal administration, IPHAN and the Monumental Program have carried out many works of conservation, restoration and revitalization of structures and spaces, with concern for accessibility and circulation, the organization of local artisans and merchants and the use of panoramic views which can be enjoyed from above the hills of the historic centre.

Much of the interest that Olinda arouses comes from its manifestations of popular culture, known for its ceramics and handcrafted carvings, for its carnival and other typical festivals in the region, where frevo and maracatu are danced.

The Cathedral of São Salvador do Mundo or Sé de Olinda Cathedral is a Catholic church located in Olinda, in the state of Pernambuco, the seat of the Archdiocese of Olinda and Recife.

It is the largest 16th-century church in Brazil, and the oldest in Olinda, founded in 1540. In Pernambuco, it was preceded only by the Igreja dos Santos Cosme e Damião de Igarassu, the oldest Brazilian church according to IPHAN.

In its surroundings was the demolished Duarte Coelho Castle.

The Basilica and Monastery of São Bento are an important Baroque architectural complex located in Olinda, in the Brazilian state of Pernambuco. It is located on the site where the first Benedictine monastery in Brazil was built, between 1597 and 1599.

The set is nationally listed and, along with a large part of the city's historic center, is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Convent of São Francisco is part of a Catholic architectural complex of exceptional importance, which includes the Church of Nossa Senhora das Neves, the Chapel of São Roque, the cloister and the sacristy. It is located in the Brazilian city of Olinda in Pernambuco.

It is the oldest Franciscan convent in Brazil.

Its construction began in 1585, with a design by Friar Francisco dos Santos, but it was partially destroyed by the Dutch in 1631 and rebuilt in the 17th century. In front of the convent there is a cross worked in sandstone stone taken from the reefs.

The cloister and sacristy are famous for their series of Portuguese tile panels, with different scenes. In the church, sacristy and chapel, the rich wood carving work on the ceiling stands out, with coffers containing paintings from the 18th century. The monastery also has a library with a precious collection of rare works, and the first public library in Pernambuco was installed in it.

The set was included in the list of monuments in the Historic Center of Olinda, listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

The Convent of São Francisco is part of a Catholic architectural complex of exceptional importance, which includes the Church of Nossa Senhora das Neves, the Chapel of São Roque, the cloister and the sacristy. It is located in the Brazilian city of Olinda in Pernambuco.

It is the oldest Franciscan convent in Brazil.

Its construction began in 1585, with a design by Friar Francisco dos Santos, but it was partially destroyed by the Dutch in 1631 and rebuilt in the 17th century. In front of the convent there is a cross worked in sandstone stone taken from the reefs.

The cloister and sacristy are famous for their series of Portuguese tile panels, with different scenes. In the church, sacristy and chapel, the rich wood carving work on the ceiling stands out, with coffers containing paintings from the 18th century. The monastery also has a library with a precious collection of rare works, and the first public library in Pernambuco was installed in it.

The set was included in the list of monuments in the Historic Center of Olinda, listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

The Church of Nossa Senhora do Carmo of the Former Convent of Santo Antônio do Carmo de Olinda, popularly known as Igreja do Carmo de Olinda, is a Catholic temple in the city of Olinda, Pernambuco, Brazil.

It is the oldest temple of the Order of Carmelites in the Americas.

The construction of the Church of Nossa Senhora do Carmo in the Old Convent of Santo Antônio do Carmo de Olinda began around 1580, when the Order of Carmelites settled in Olinda, in the hermitage of Santo Antônio and São Gonçalo. When the city was destroyed by the Dutch in 1631, the church and convent suffered serious damage. From 1654, with the expulsion of the invaders, the friars returned to the ruined convent and began rebuilding. In 1704, the internal works began and the cross was erected in front of it. The south side tower was completed in 1726.

The temple was closed in 1820 with the transfer of the priest prior to Recife, which led to the abandonment of the convent. Another big blow came in the mid-19th century when the east and north facades of the convent collapsed, making room for vandals and looters. It was in 1897 that Friar Mariano do Monte Carmelo Gordon carried out restoration works in the chancel and sent a dressing room with its arcades, pilasters and vault. that returned to the church its original layout, which according to José Luiz Mota Menezes shows the mannerist influence of the Vignola school, mixed with baroque elements.

The Church of Nossa Senhora do Rosário dos Homens Pretos is a Catholic church in the city of Olinda, Pernambuco, Brazil. It is the first church in the country to belong to a brotherhood of blacks.

References to the existence of the Brotherhood of Black Men in Olinda date back to the mid-16th century, with the Church of Nossa Senhora do Rosário dos Pretos being well documented from 1627 onwards.

In his return, congadas were held, in an attempt to rescue African religious festivals.

The Pernambuco Museum of Sacred Art (MASPE) is a Brazilian museum located in a historic building in Olinda, in the state of Pernambuco.

The building that now houses the Museum of Sacred Art was built in the 17th century, on Alto da Sé, the hill on which Duarte Coelho founded the city, in 1535. Initially it served as the Chamber House of the Senate of Olinda. With the arrival of the first Bishop of Pernambuco, Dom Estevão Brioso de Figueiredo, in 1676, who also settled there, it also became the Episcopal Palace, a function that would become exclusive from 1690 onwards.

In the 19th century, the mansion underwent new modifications, serving as a collective residence for religious, college and army barracks during World War II, but it preserves two original turrets and twelve windows with wooden balconies on the upper floor. On its façade you can still find the ancient episcopal coat of arms and a UNESCO plaque declaring the city a Monument to Humanity.

The museum has occupied the site since 1974, and in 1977 FUNDARPE carried out new renovations, reinstalling its Portuguese tiles at the entrance to the Museum.

Municipal Archive of Olinda

Location: Rua de São Bento, 153 – Varadouro

Since the Empire, the Chamber of Olinda accumulated the functions of the Executive Power and already had its archive. In 1975, the Municipal Public Archive service was created, aimed at collecting and preserving documents in a permanent phase. In 1983 the Public Archives Antonino Guimarães was created in the house of the former residence of the Coelho Leal family, at Rua de São Bento 153.

Olinda's Documentary Heritage goes beyond the local function, to be of interest to the scientific community and national and international bodies. Its collection is basically of documentation accumulated and/or produced by the Municipal Executive Power, with deadlines from the end of the 16th century to the end of the 1970s. The documentation is divided into three large groups: Textual, Cartographic and Iconographic. The collection includes rare works from the 17th to the 20th century.

Olinda Public Library

Location: Av. Liberdade, s/n – Carmo.

Phone: (81) 3305-1157

Visitation: Monday to Friday, from 8 am to 5 pm.

Photo: Birdie/Pref. Olinda

Created by Imperial Decree on 12/07/1830, the Public Library of Olinda was initially installed in the Convent of São Francisco, being the 1st in Pernambuco and the 5th in Brazil. With the transfer of the Faculty of Law from Olinda to Recife, the space did not work for several decades, being reestablished through Law No. 4329/1983. In 1984, the house on Avenida da Liberdade nº 100, in Carmo, was expropriated, and its restoration was completed in 1996. The house where the Public Library of Olinda is located is one of the oldest buildings in the city. It was portrayed by Franz Post in a painting about Olinda, in the 17th century.

water tank

Location: Rua Bispo Coutinho, s/n – Alto da Sé.

Visitation: every day from 2 pm to 5 pm.

Caixa D'Água and Panoramic Elevator of Alto da Sé. Photo: Laila Santana/Pref. Olinda

Built in 1934 with a project by architect Luís Nunes, Caixa D'Água, in Alto da Sé, is a landmark of modern Brazilian architecture. In this project, for the first time, modern architectural forms and modeling were used, at a time when the concept of architecture was being changed.

The use of stilts, the pure form of the construction, the use of a blind façade and a completely hollow façade with cobogós were inspired by the concepts of Le Corbusier, and used by Oscar Niemeyer in the buildings in Brasília. In the construction of Caixa D'Água, combogó was used for the first time in Brazil as a decorative element for ventilation and decoration.

The building has recently undergone refurbishment works, inaugurated on October 24, 2011. In the building, 20 meters high, a panoramic elevator was installed and the site was transformed into a gazebo, which allows the visitor a 360-degree view to the two sister cities: Olinda and Recife. The interior space was reclassified for exhibitions and other activities to support tourist visits.

João Fernandes Vieira's House

Location: Rua de São Bento, s/n – Varadouro.

On Rua de São Bento, close to the São Bento complex, is the manor house where it is believed that Pernambuco restorer João Fernandes Vieira, who was prominent in the fight against the Dutch, lived and died.

CEMO (Olinda Music Education Center)

Location: Salgadinho – Santa Tereza Road Complex.

Phone: (81) 3241.5065

The 19th century mansion was the residence of the Baron of Taca runa, Manoel Antônio dos Passos e Silva. Abandoned for several years, it was restored and currently houses the Music Education Center of Olinda (CEMO), a municipal music school.

Bandstand at Praça da Preguiça

Location: Avenida Liberdade, s/n – Carmo.

The cast iron bandstand, of Scottish origin, manufactured by the Macfarlane Foundry in Glasgow, Scotland, acquired by catalog in 1914 by Mayor Arthur Hermann Lundgren, for the function of toilets. Its iron veranda is adorned with arabesques and topped by a kind of crown.

Olinda Lighthouse

Location: Amaro Branco.

Originally built on Fortim Montenegro, the Olinda Lighthouse was lit for the first time in 1872. Visible from 12 miles away, the current lighthouse was built on Morro Sera Pião, and opened on September 7, 1941. Because it stands out in the landscape from Olinda, has become one of the main landmarks of the city.

Fortim de São Francisco (Fortim do Queijo)

Location: Rua do Sol – Carmo.

The first news of the Fort or Baluarte de São Francisco dates back to the 17th century. Because of its small size, it was later known as “Fortim do Queijo”. Until the 30s of the 18th century, the Fortim served to protect the coast, when it was abandoned. It underwent a restoration process between 1973 and 1977, retaining its current features.

The construction resembles that of other colonial fortresses, with simple and rustic architecture, rectangular in shape and featuring a stronghold or fort that is not quartered. Access is via a 10 m long “head in black” stone ramp. The Fortim de São Francisco still has cannons on a granite base and two guardhouses, with triple eaves, on the sides of the access ramp.

Maxambomb Set

Location: Praça do Carmo, s/n – Carmo.

In 1866, the use of steam trains, known as maxambomba, was started, connecting the neighborhood of Beberibe, via Encruzilhada, to Carmo, in Olinda. In 1871, a workshop of the Companhia de Trilhos Urbanos was built for train maintenance. With the installation of electric tram lines, the complex was reformed, creating homes and commerce.

Eufrásio Barbosa Market

Location: Av. Joaquim Nabuco, s/n – Varadouro

Phone: (81) 3429-3599

The building of the former Fábrica de Doces Amorim Ltda. it was built in 1894, in the place where the first Customs House of Pernambuco once stood, in Varadouro, which operated in the 17th and 18th centuries. The factory operated until 1960 and was expropriated years later by the city. It has a rectangular plan, on a single floor, in brick masonry. The main façade has openings in full arches and a triangular pediment. Although the original building has received additions, it has not been defaced. It has a theater and area for exhibitions and folklore presentations.

Ribeira Market

Location: Rua Bernardo Vieira de Melo, s/n – Ribeira

Built at the end of the 17th century and beginning of the 18th century, Mercado da Ribeira is a characteristic building of colonial Brazil, with the function of a supply market. It has tiled floors and two porches with pilasters. In the Ribeira Market there are several handicraft galleries, carver workshops, engravings and paintings. It is located opposite the ruins of the Senate.

Astronomical Observatory

Location: Rua Bispo Coutinho, s/n – Alto da Sé.

Visitation: Tuesday to Sunday, from 4 pm to 8 pm.

Groups with more than ten people should schedule visits by calling (81) 3183.5528.

It was built in the 1880s, in Alto da Sé, a favorable place for astronomical observations. It served for several decades for observations and studies of astronomy, and between 1922 and 1960 it functioned as a meteorological observatory. Its construction is related to the discoveries made by the French astronomer Emanuel Liais: the passage of Venus in the solar disk and the Comet of Olinda, in 1860. In neoclassical style, it was built in masonry and has a cylindrical shape. Restored in the 2000s, it received a dome that allows the installation of telescopes.

Governors Palace

Location: Rua de São Bento, 123 – Varadouro.

Photo: Birdie/Pref. Olinda

The former Paço dos Governadores Gerais of Brazil was built in the 17th century, after the Pernambuco Restoration, from where the country was governed three times. In 1824, he received the Constituent and Legislative Assembly of the Confederation of Ecuador. It was modified and expanded at the end of the 19th century, receiving a neoclassical appearance on its façade. Features ipê flooring, original cedar staircase and tiled floor. It is currently the headquarters of the Municipality of Olinda.

Senate Ruins

Location: Rua Bernardo Vieira de Melo, s/n – Ribeira.

Construction prior to 1693, the building fell into ruins and collapsed with the transfer of the City Council of Olinda to facilities in Varadouro, at the end of the 19th century. In the Senate Building of the City Council of Olinda, Bernardo Vieira de Melo gave the first cry in favor of the Republic in Brazil, in 1710. There remains a piece of the external wall of the facade of the former Senate Building, showing the thick thickness of the wall where it is affixed a plaque reporting the first cry of the Republic in Brazil.

Moorish townhouse on Rua do Amparo

Location: Rua do Amparo, 28.

Former residence from the early 17th century, it has kept its original features intact. It has a wooden balcony with Arab-influenced muxarabis, supported by stone corbels and wooden doors with lintels and straight stone jambs.

The construction is one of the most typical works from the 18th century existing in Pernambuco. Survived the wave of decharacterization, caused by the arrival of the Portuguese Royal Family to Brazil. The building's architecture has several characteristic elements of Arab influence.

During the restoration work, bricks weighing 24 kg, of original dimensions, were found. All the originality of the work has been preserved. On the ground floor, there are two lintel doors and straight jambs, both made of stone. On the upper floor, portals similar to those on the ground floor. The counter is in muxarabi, supported by stone corbels.

Moorish Townhouse in St. Peter's Square

Location: Praça Conselheiro João Alfredo, 7.

With beautiful lozenge and trellis wooden counters, in addition to its muxarabi, this Moorish house is a rare example of Arab architecture in Brazil. In 1859, he hosted the emperor D. Pedro II and the empress Tereza Cristina, on a trip to the Northeast.

MAC (Museum of Contemporary Art)

Location: Rua 13 de Maio, s/n.

Phone: (81) 3184.3153

Photo: Birdie/Pref. Olinda

The building dates back to 1765 and was built to be the Aljube or Ecclesiastical Chain for the punishments of the Inquisition. Opposite, the Chapel of São Pedro Advíncula was built. The Aljube and Chapel complex was restored and listed in 1966 by the National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute (IPHAN).

The Museum of Contemporary Art of Olinda (MAC) was installed in it, which has a collection of more than 4,000 works of the most varied techniques, eras and styles, from French academicism to contemporaneity, and brings together works by great names such as Portinari, Cícero Dias, Eliseu Visconti, Djanira, Telles Junior, Wellington Virgulino, Di Cavalcanti, João Câmara, Guinard, Adolph Gottielib, Burle Max, Francisco Brennand, among others.

Visitation: Tuesday to Sunday, from 9am to 5pm.

Admission: R$ 2.50 (student) and R$ 5 (normal).

Student from municipal or state school with an unpaid scheduled visit.

Scheduled private school pays R$2 per person.

Seniors over 65 do not pay.

MASPE (Pernambuco Museum of Sacred Art)

Location: Rua Bispo Coutinho, 726 – Alto da Sé.

Phone: (81) 3184.3154

Inaugurated in 1977, the Pernambuco Museum of Sacred Art (MASPE) is installed in the former Bishops Palace of Olinda, built on the first installations of the first Chamber and Prison House. In the 19th century, the mansion underwent new modifications, serving as a collective resistance of religious, college and army barracks during World War II.

On its façade, it is possible to see the ancient episcopal coat of arms and a Unesco plaque declaring Olinda, Historical Monument of Humanity. The fixed collection of MASPE began to be built from a hundred pieces donated by the Archdiocese of Olinda and Recife. Today, it is composed of ancient erudite images, polychromed and gilded, from the 16th century, as well as paintings and popular sacred art and objects of worship in churches.

Visitation: Tuesday to Friday, from 10 am to 4 pm / Saturday and Sunday, from 10 am to 2 pm.

Mamulengo Museum

Location: Rua de São Bento, 344.

Phone: (81) 3493. 2753

Founded on 12/14/1994, the Mamulengo Museum has a collection of over 1200 pieces made by mamulengo eirós masters, representing popular figures in rural or urban everyday situations, with some 18th century puppets. It is the first museum dedicated to popular puppets in Latin America.

Visitation: Tuesday to Friday, from 10am to 5pm.

Admission: R$1.00 (student) and R$2.00 (normal).

Olinda Regional Museum

Location: Rua do Amparo, 128 – Amparo

The former residence of the Bishop of Olinda was built in the 18th century and retains its original features. The Olinda Regional Museum was founded in 1935, in commemoration of the 400th anniversary of Duarte Coelho's arrival in Pernambuco, by the then director of the Library and State Museum José Maria Albuquerque Melo.

Its collection includes pieces such as furniture, images, panels, pieces of great historical value, such as the coat of arms of the Senate of the Chamber of Olinda and sacred art pieces, including an altar that belonged to the former Cathedral of Olinda, before its renovation in 1711. Altogether, there are 217 pieces exhibited throughout the length of the halls of the building where it works.

Visitation: Tuesday to Friday, from 9am to 5pm. / Saturday and Sunday, from 1pm to 5pm.

Entry: R$1 / Special assistance for scheduled schools

Modulated with stone and masonry, the Bicas were built with the purpose of supplying the lack of water in Vila de Olinda.

St. Peter's Spout

Location: Rua Henrique Dias, Varadouro.

Built in the 16th century, the Bica de São Pedro is the one with the highest water flow. According to a popular legend, its waters came from a slope that was under the main altar of the Igreja Matriz de São Pedro Mártir. Initially known as Fontainha, its waters still serve the population of Olinda.

Rosary spout

Location: Largo do Rosário, Bonsucesso.

Mentioned in the charter of Olinda in 1537, Bica do Rosário is perhaps the only remnant of the Val de Fontes, a stream existing in the 16th century. A fruitful spring, with its beautiful frontispiece adorned by walls with stone jars, Bica bears the city's secular coat of arms at its base. An important colonial piece, it features a staircase entirely paved with stones.

Four Corners Spout

Location: Rua dos Quatro Cantos, Amparo.

According to historical records, the Bica dos Quatro Cantos was built in 1602. Also called Fonte da Tabatinga, it was destroyed and later recovered.

By: Roberto Barros