Cachoeira ( Portuguese, meaning

waterfall A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. Waterfalls can be formed in severa ...

) is an inland municipality of

Bahia Bahia ( , , ; meaning "bay") is one of the 26 states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Rio de Janeiro) and the 5th-largest ...

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

, on the

Paraguaçu River The Paraguaçu River () is a river in Bahia state of eastern Brazil. It runs from the Chapada Diamantina highlands of central Bahia to its mouth at the Baía de Todos os Santos. The Paraguaçu is the largest river entirely within Bahia. Its b ...

. The town exports sugar,

cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor p ...

, and

tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ch ...

and is a thriving commercial and industrial centre. The municipality contains 56% of the Baía do Iguape Marine Extractive Reserve, created in 2000. São Félix is located directly across the Paraguaçu River from Cachoeira; it also borders the municipalities of

Conceição da Feira Conceição da Feira is a municipality in the state of Bahia in the North-East region of Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Lati ...

, Santo Amaro,

Saubara Saubara is a Municipalities of Brazil, municipality in the states of Brazil, state of Bahia in the Nordeste, North-East region of Brazil. See also *List of municipalities in Bahia References

Populated coastal places in Bahia Municipalit ...

, Maragogipe,

Governador Mangabeira Governador Mangabeira is a municipality in the state of Bahia in the North-East region of Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin ...

, and Muritiba.

History

The area of present-day Cachoeira was home to numerous

Amerindian The Indigenous peoples of the Americas are the inhabitants of the Americas before the arrival of the European settlers in the 15th century, and the ethnic groups who now identify themselves with those peoples. Many Indigenous peoples of the A ...

s prior to the colonial period. Paulo Dias Adorno and Afonso Rodrigues arrived in the region in 1531 from Portugal. They and their descendants entered into a century of conflict with the existing indigenous population, ultimately resulting in the expulsion of native Brazilians from the region. Mem de Sá, governor-general of the Portuguese colony of Brazil from 1557 to 1572, first attempted to expel the native population from Cachoeira in 1559. Álvaro Rodrigues Adorno, son of António Dias Adorno, arrived in 1595 and attempted peace settlements with the Amerindian population. Fighting continued between the two groups into the 17th century and hindered the settlement of the region by the Portuguese. Captain-General Gaspar Rodrigues Adorno attempted a final expulsion of the indigenous population in the early 17th century, and his son, João Rodrigues Adorno, rebuilt the a residential fort and a chapel in 1654. The chapel, Capela de Nossa Senhora da Ajuda (

Chapel of Our Lady of Help The Chapel of Our Lady of Help ( pt, Capela de Nossa Senhora da Ajuda, Capela da Ajuda) is a 20th-century Roman Catholic church in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. It sits on the site of a church of the same name built by the Jesuits in 1549, one of the ...

), became the first in Cachoeira. The settlement became known as Nossa Senhora do Rosário in 1674. It became the second town in Bahia under a Royal Charter of 1693 and was renamed the Vila de Nossa Senhora do Rosário do Porto da Cachoeira do Porto da Cachoeira do Paraguaçu. Because of its location on the

, the town served as an important economic link between the interior of Bahia and its capital, Salvador; the city connected the agricultural lands of the Reconcavo and the interior ''sertão'' region.

Sugar cane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, perennial grass (in the genus '' Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fibrous stal ...

farming and

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile ...

mining on the

De Contas River The De Contas River (Portuguese: Rio de Contas) is a river of Bahia state in eastern Brazil. In Portuguese, it is sometimes erroneously called "''Rio das Contas''". It is the main river of the hydrographic basin named after him. Its source is in ...

(Rio de Contas) brought wealth to Cachoeira and resulted in an organized settlement on the Paraguaçu with numerous public buildings, churches, and urban residences. Cachoeira became a center of the independence movement in the early 19th century. It was a center of the war of the Independence of Bahia and was elevated to city status under an imperial decree of March 13, 1873. The Companhia Central da Bahia—Imperial Central Railway Company Limited constructed a extension from

Feira de Santana Feira de Santana (; Portuguese for "Saint Anne's Fair") is a city in Bahia, Brazil. It is the second-most populous city in the state, with a population of 619,609 according to IBGE's estimate in 2020. It is located 100 km northwest of Salvad ...

to Cachoeira and São Félix in 1874. A foundation stone of a future railroad bridge was placed in Cachoeira on December 22, 1881. The engineers Frederico Merei and Affonso Glycerio da Cunha Maciel built the bridge, which was inaugurated on July 7, 1885. Pedro II of Brazil allowed his name on the bridge, which was named the

Dom Pedro II Bridge Dom Pedro II Bridge (( pt, Ponte Dom Pedro II), also Dom Pedro II Imperial Bridge pt, Ponte Dom Pedro II) is a bridge between Cachoeira and São Félix, Bahia, Brazil. It crosses the Paraguaçu River and serves as an automotive, rail, and pedes ...

, and the Imperial Arms were placed on a keystone of the bridge. The worldwide

1846–1860 cholera pandemic The third cholera pandemic (1846–1860) was the third major outbreak of cholera originating in India in the nineteenth century that reached far beyond its borders, which researchers at UCLA believe may have started as early as 1837 and lasted ...

reduced the population of Cachoeira and caused widespread social and economic disorder. The disease spread to Salvador in early 1855 and appeared in the Caquende and Pitanga neighborhoods of Cachoeira in August. It soon spread to both urban and rural parts of the town; 100 people died within the first ten days of the arrival of cholera in the Cachoeira. The epidemic disproportionately affected the town's slave population. Ultimately 3,000 died from the disease in the urban part of the city and 8,500 in outlying rural areas. Entire families were lost to cholera, the town was left with numerous orphans, several ''engenhos'' closed, and the economy of Cachoeira saw a steadily decline. The city is now a center of tourism, is noted for its historic structures, and is a center of

Candomblé Candomblé () is an African diasporic religion that developed in Brazil during the 19th century. It arose through a process of syncretism between several of the traditional religions of West Africa, especially that of the Yoruba, and the Roman C ...

Population history

Notable people

Francisca Praguer Fróes Francisca Praguer Fróes ( Cachoeira, Bahia, 21 October 1872 – Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the ...

, Brazil's first female physician * Mateus Aleluia, Brazilian poet and musician.

Historic structures

Cachoeira is home to numerous colonial-period historic structures, many designated as Brazilian national and Bahian state monuments. The historic center of Cachoeira was designated a national monument by the National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage (IPHAN). Churches *

(''Capela de Nossa Senhora da Ajuda'') * Church and Convent of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and House of Prayer of the Carmelite Third Order (''Igreja e Convento de Nossa Senhora do Carmo e Capela e Casa de Oração da Ordem Terceira do Carmo'') *

Church of the Old Seminary in Belém da Cachoeira The Church of the Seminary of Belém ( pt, Igreja do Antigo Seminário de Belém de Cachoeira)) is a church and former school in Cachoeira, Bahia, Brazil. The seminary was founded in 1686 by the Jesuits and was the order's first school in Brazil o ...

(''Igreja do Antigo Seminário de Belém de Cachoeira'') * Parish Church of Our Lady of the Rosary (''Igreja Matriz de Nossa Senhora do Rosário'') * Parish Church of Santiago do Iguape (''Igreja Matriz de Santiago, Iguape'') *Ruins of the Convent and Church of Saint Antony (''Ruínas do Convento e Igreja de Santo António'') Candomblé Terreiros *Terreiro Aganjú Didê da Nação Nagô-Tedô *Terreiro Dendezeiros *Terreiro Egbé Éran Ope Olúwa - Terreiro Viva Deus *

Terreiro Loba Nekun Filho Terreiro Loba Nekun Filho, also spelled as Terreiro Lobanekum Filho, or Casa de Mae Lira, is a Candomblé terreiro in Cachoeira, Bahia, Brazil. It was founded by Amazilia Matias da Conceição (1906-1997), better known as Mãe Lira de Iemanjá ...

*Terreiro Ogodum Ei *Terreiro Rumpayme Ayono Runtólogi *Terreiro Zogbodo Male Nogun Seja Unde (Roça do Ventura) Residences *Ana Nery Birthplace (''Casa Natal de Ana Nery'') * House at Praça Dr. Aristides Milton 23-A (''Casa à Praça Dr. Aristides Milton 23-A'') *

House at No. 4 Rua Ana Nery House at No. 4 Rua Ana Nery ( pt, Casa à Rua Ana Nery, 4, or ''Sobrado à Rua Ana Nery, 4'') is a house in Cachoeira, Bahia, Brazil. Its date of construction is unknown but is likely between the end of the 18th century and beginning of the 19 ...

(''Casa à Rua Ana Nery, 4'') *Sobrado at No. 1 Rua Ana Nery (''Sobrado à Rua Ana Nery, 1'') *

Sobrado at No. 2 Rua Ana Nery Sobrado at No. 2 Rua Ana Nery ( pt, Sobrado à Rua Ana Nery Nº 2 is a Portuguese-colonial era '' sobrado'', or urban manor house, in Cachoeira, Bahia, Brazil. It was constructed in the early 18th century by a wealthy family, and has a privileged ...

(''Sobrado na Rua Ana Nery, 2'') *Sobrado at No. 25 Rua Ana Nery (''Sobrado à Rua Ana Nery, 25'') *House at No. 1 Rua Benjamim Constant (''Casa à Rua Benjamin Constant, 1'') *House at No. 2 Rua Benjamim Constant (''Casa na Rua Benjamim Constant, 2'') *

House at No. 17 Rua Benjamin Constant House at No. 17 Rua Benjamin Constant ( pt, Casa à Rua Benjamin Constant, 17, or ''Casa à Ladeira da Cadeia, 17'') is a former home and archive building in Cachoeira, Brazil. Its date of construction is unknown but is likely between the end o ...

(''Casa à Rua Benjamin Constant, 17'') *House at Rua Estrada de Ferro (''Casa à Rua Estrada de Ferro'') *Teixeira de Freitas Birthplace (''Casa natal de Teixeira de Freitas'') *Estrela Manor House (''Solar Estrela'') *Sobrado at No. 4 Praça da Aclamação (''Sobrado à Praça da Aclamação, 4'') *Sobrado at No. 13 Rua Treze de Maio (''Sobrado à Rua Treze de Maio, 13'') *Sobrado of João R. Adorno (''Sobrado de João R. Adorno'') Urban buildings and structures *

Praça Dr. Aristides Mílton Fountain The Praça Dr. Aristides Mílton Fountain ( pt, Chafariz da Praça Dr. Aristides Mílton) is an 18th-century public fountain in Cachoeira, Bahia, Brazil. The fountain is located at the north of Praça Dr. Aristides Mílton and sits between numerou ...

(''Chafariz da Praça Dr. Mílton'') *

Garden of Hospital São João de Deus The Garden of Hospital São João de Deus ( pt, Jardim do Hospital São João de Deus) is an abandoned garden in Cachoeira, Bahia, Brazil. It is part of the Hospital São João de Deus architectural ensemble that includes a hospital building, a la ...

(''Jardim do Hospital São João de Deus'') *

(''Ponte Dom Pedro II'') *

Town Hall of Cachoeira The Town Hall of Cachoeira ( pt, Paço Municipal, formerly the pt, Casa de Câmara e Cadeia) is an 18th-century municipal building in Cachoeira, Bahia, Brazil. The building is located in the Historic Center of the city on the Praça da Aclama� ...

(''Casa de Câmara e Cadeia'', ''Paço Municipal de Cachoeira'') Sugar plantations *Campina Sugar Plantation (''Engenho Campina'') *Da Ponta Sugar Plantation (''Engenho da Ponta'') *Embiara Sugar Plantation (''Engenho Embiara, Sobrado'') *Vitória Sugar Mill (''Engenho Vitória'')

Gallery

File:Nineteenth-Century Facade in Cachoeira - Bahia - Brazil.JPG, Nineteenth-Century Facade File:Igreja da Ordem Terceiro do Carmo - Cachoeira - Bahia - Brazil.JPG, Church of the Third Order of Carmel File:Interior of Pousada do Convento do Carmo - Cachoeira - Bahia - Brazil.JPG, Carmel Inn File:Building Facades - Cachoeira - Bahia - Brazil.JPG, Building Facades

References

:''This article incorporates a translation from the Portuguese

Wikipedia Wikipedia is a multilingual free online encyclopedia written and maintained by a community of volunteers, known as Wikipedians, through open collaboration and using a wiki-based editing system. Wikipedia is the largest and most-read ref ...

External links

{{Authority control Municipalities in Bahia National heritage sites of Bahia