*Part 1* On the 1st of january 1502 the first portuguese expedition to explore the coast of Brazil arrived here. On entering the Guanabara Bay, and believing it to be the month of a great river, they gave it the name Rio de Janeiro (river of january) later Rio de Janeiro saw other expeditions, and raids by pirates.The Portuguese reacted by sending an armed force under the command of Captain Estácio de Sá, who founded the city of Rio de Janeiro on the 1st of March 1565.The French, and their allies the Tamoio Indians,were only finally expelled in 1567. Little by little the city took shape, expanding along the coast of the bay and around lakes and mangrove swamps. the arrival of important Portuguese families was accompanied by that of religious orders - Carmelites, Benedictines and Franciscans- who erected grandiose buildings,many of which still survive to the present day.The Santa Casa de Misericórdia, constructed in neoclassical style in Rua Santa Luzia, was the citys first hospital. It was built under the direction of Father José de Anchieta in 1582, when Rio had less than 5,000 inhabitants. One of Rios oldest churches, the Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Monte do Carmo/Antiga Sé, was founded in 1590 whe the Carmelites arrived in the city. It began with the donation of a small chapel,dedicated to Our Lady of O (aka Our Lady of the Expectation). During the 17th and 18th centuries the friars built a large convent beside the chapel. It was used to accommodate members of the Royal family in 1808.The church became the Royal Chapel and Cathedral.It saw the consecration of Dom João VI; the wedding of Dom Pedro l, future emperor of Brazil;and many other important imperial occasions amongst the religious buildings of the early 17th Century, the monastery of São Bento is still standing. Designed in 1617 by the enginner Francisco de Frias Mesquita, Its located in the city centre. Its interior is marked by the most expensive of baroque works.
Posted on: Thu, 17 Oct 2013 21:57:19 +0000
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