![Salvador-CamaraVereadores](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/Salvador-CamaraVereadores.jpg)
The Historic Center (
US) or Centre (
UK; pt, Centro Histórico) of
Salvador de Bahia
Salvador (English: ''Savior'') is a Brazilian municipality and capital city of the state of Bahia. Situated in the Zona da Mata in the Northeast Region of Brazil, Salvador is recognized throughout the country and internationally for its cuisine ...
in
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 ...
, also known as the Pelourinho (
Portuguese
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
for "
Pillory
The pillory is a device made of a wooden or metal framework erected on a post, with holes for securing the head and hands, formerly used for punishment by public humiliation and often further physical abuse. The pillory is related to the stocks ...
") or Pelo, is a historic neighborhood in western
Salvador
Salvador, meaning "salvation" (or "saviour") in Catalan, Spanish, and Portuguese may refer to:
* Salvador (name)
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
*Salvador (band), a Christian band that plays both English and Spanish music
** ''Salvador'' ( ...
,
Bahia
Bahia ( , , ; meaning "bay") is one of the 26 Federative units of Brazil, states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo (sta ...
.
It was the city's center during the
Portuguese
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
colonial period and was named for the whipping post in its central plaza where enslaved people from Africa were publicly beaten as punishment for alleged infractions. The Historic Center is extremely rich in historical monuments dating from the 17th through the 19th centuries.
Designated a UNESCO
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
, the Pelourinho retains a vibrant repertoire of colonial Portuguese architecture, exemplified by the
Mannerist
Mannerism, which may also be known as Late Renaissance, is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by about 1530 and lasting until about the end of the 16th century in Italy, ...
decoration of the
Cathedral of Salvador
The Cathedral Basilica of Salvador (''Catedral Basílica de Salvador''), officially dedicated to the Transfiguration of Christ and named ''Primatial Cathedral Basilica of the Transfiguration of the Lord'' is the seat of the Archbishop of the city ...
, the
Baroque
The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
intricacy of the
Church and Convent of São Francisco and the
, as well as the
Rococo
Rococo (, also ), less commonly Roccoco or Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and theatrical style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpted moulding, ...
exuberance of the
Church of Nosso Senhor do Bonfim. In addition, the Pelourinho remains a cultural hub for the
Afro-Brazilian
Afro-Brazilians ( pt, afro-brasileiros; ) are Brazilians who have predominantly African ancestry (see "Black people#Brazil, preto"). Most members of another group of people, Pardo Brazilians, multiracial Brazilians or ''pardos'', may also have a ...
community, whose cuisine, architecture, religion and music exert a salient influence on the neighborhood and testify to the "empowerment and influence of Afro cultures" in the New World. Although historical preservation efforts initiated in the 1990s enhanced safety, promoted tourism and facilitated greater economic development, they also resulted in the dislocation of Afro-Brazilian residents in the enclave and contributed to gentrification. As such, the development of the Pelourinho continues to attract attention in the gubernatorial politics of
Bahia
Bahia ( , , ; meaning "bay") is one of the 26 Federative units of Brazil, states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo (sta ...
.
Salvador was the first colonial capital of Brazil and the city is one of the oldest in the
New World
The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. 3 ...
(founded in 1549 by Portuguese settlers). It was also one of the first slave markets on the continent, with slaves arriving to work on the sugar plantations.
The area is in the older part of the upper city (') of Salvador. It encompasses several blocks around the triangular Largo, and it is the location for music, dining and nightlife. It has a place on the national historic register and was named a world cultural center by
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
in 1985.
History
Salvador
Salvador, meaning "salvation" (or "saviour") in Catalan, Spanish, and Portuguese may refer to:
* Salvador (name)
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
*Salvador (band), a Christian band that plays both English and Spanish music
** ''Salvador'' ( ...
's Historic Center comprises the colonial city's primitive nucleus and its geographical expansion until the end of the 18th century. From Praça Municipal, open within the dense
tropical forest
Tropical forests (a.k.a. jungle) are forested landscapes in tropical regions: ''i.e.'' land areas approximately bounded by the tropic of Cancer and Capricorn, but possibly affected by other factors such as prevailing winds.
Some tropical fores ...
by the first general-governor,
Tomé de Sousa
Tomé de Sousa (1503–1579) was the first governor-general of the Portuguese colony of Brazil from 1549 until 1553. He was a nobleman and soldier born in Rates, Póvoa de Varzim. Sousa was born a noble and participated in military expeditions in ...
, in 1549, to largo de Santo Antônio Além do Carmo, battle field where
Portuguese
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
and
Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
soldiers from Companhia das Índias Ocidentais fought in 1638, monuments of civil, religious and
military architecture
Military engineering is loosely defined as the art, science, and practice of designing and building military works and maintaining lines of military transport and military communications. Military engineers are also responsible for logistics be ...
make up a scenery that reveals Salvador's inhabitants art and way of living through the centuries. From Portas de Santa Luzia, which kept the southern boundary of the old city safe, with mud walls, to the thick walls of Fort Santo Antônio Além do Carmo, which guarded the north entrance, Salvador's Historic Center is divided in three areas that can be visited all at once: from Praça Municipal to Largo de São Francisco, Pelourinho, and from Largo do Carmo to Largo de Santo Antônio Além do Carmo.
The area between Praça Municipal and Largo de São Francisco chronologically starts from the place chosen by general-governor Tomé de Souza for the construction of the Colonial Government buildings, and in the places occupied by religious brotherhoods that came from Europe in 1549. Praça Municipal was opened because it offered better protection against attacks by natives and corsairs. The Governor's House, the
City Hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...
, the
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 ...
, and other structures were initially made of mud wall and covered with straw, but later re-built with stone, bricks, and lime. Nowadays, the visitors' preferred historic buildings are the Paço Municipal (completed in the end of the 17th century), the
Rio Branco Palace
The Rio Branco Palace ( pt, Palácio Rio Branco) is a palace and former seat of government in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. It is one of the oldest palaces in Brazil and dates to 1549. It is located within the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Histori ...
(Palácio Rio Branco, built on the site of the former Governor's House in 1919), and the
Lacerda Elevator
The Lacerda Elevator ''('' is a public urban elevator located in Salvador, Brazil, connecting the lower city ''(Cidade Baixa)'' to the upper city ''(Cidade Alta).'' The elevator was built between 1869 and 1873; it was named after Antônio de Lac ...
('), amplified in the thirties. Towards the north are
Church and Santa Casa da Misericórdia ('). The Customs Building at Cayrú Square was constructed in 1861. The Model Market (') near the foot of the elevator in the
Comércio district claims to be the largest handicraft market in
Latin America
Latin America or
* french: Amérique Latine, link=no
* ht, Amerik Latin, link=no
* pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...
.
The
Church of the Holy See
Church may refer to:
Religion
* Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities
* Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination
* Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship
* Chris ...
(Igreja da Sé), an integral part of the architectural set of the Historic Center, was demolished in 1933 along with four other blocks of buildings from the colonial and imperial periods. The
Archbishop's Palace, connected to the church, remains. Debates over the destruction of historic sites in Salvador and elsewhere in Brazil led to the first attempts at federal-level protection of historic assets and eventually to the establishment of the
National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage
The National Historic and Artistic Heritage Institute (, IPHAN) is a heritage register of the federal government of Brazil. It is responsible for the preservation of buildings, monuments, structures, objects and sites, as well as the register and ...
.
The
Terreiro de Jesus
The Terreiro de Jesus is a plaza located in the Historic Center of Salvador de Bahia in Brazil. The square is located in the oldest part of the city and abuts the Praça da Sé. The Cathedral Basilica of Salvador, formerly the school and church ...
, just north of Praça Municipal, is home to structures from the 17th to 19th century constructions. Catedral Basilica, former Igreja dos Jesuítas (Jesuit Church), and churches
Ordem Terceira de São Domingos and
Church of Saint Peter of the Clergymen
The Church of Saint Peter of the Clergymen ( pt, Igreja de São Pedro dos Clérigos) is an 18th-century Roman Catholic church in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. It was constructed by the Brotherhood of Saint Peter in approximately 1709 and was renovate ...
(São Pedro dos Clérigos) stand out in Terreiro de Jesus, with its beautiful water fountain in the center.
The former Medical School Building, originally occupied by the Jesuit School, is now the Memorial da Medicina (Medicine Memorial), Arqueologia e Etnologia (Archeology and Ethnology), and Afro-Brasileiro (Afro-Brazilian) museums. The
House of the Seven Lamps
The House of the Seven Lamps ( pt, Casa dos Sete Candeeiros) is a residence and museum in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. It was constructed in the 17th century and is located on Rua de São Francisco at the south of the Pelourinho, or the Historic Cent ...
(Casa dos Sete Candeeiros), now a museum, is nearby. Largo do Cruzeiro de São Francisco (Cruzeiro de São Francisco Largo), practically an extension of Terreiro de Jesus, has an old cross in the center, and, on the back, the monumental religious set made up of
São Franscisco Church and Convent, and
Church of the Third Order of Saint Francis
Church may refer to:
Religion
* Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities
* Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination
* Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship
* C ...
(Ordem Terceira de São Franscisco Church). The
(Igreja da Ordem Terceira de Nossa Senhora do Rosário dos Pretos),
Church of the Blessed Sacrament at Rua do Passo
The Church of the Blessed Sacrament at Rua do Passo ( pt, Igreja do Santíssimo Sacramento da Rua do Passo, also ''Igreja do Santíssimo Sacramento do Passo'') is an 18th-century Roman Catholic church in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. It is dedicated t ...
, and
Church of the Third Order of Mount Carmel
The Church of the Third Order of Mount Carmel ( pt, Igreja da Ordem Terceira do Carmo, also known as the ''Igreja da Ordem Terceira do Monte do Carmo'') is an 18th-century Roman Catholic church in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. It is located adjacent t ...
are located further north in the district. Numerous colonial-period historic residences, including the
Palace of Saldanha
The Palace of Saldanha ( pt, Solar do Saldanha, or ) is former residence in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. It is located in the Historic Center (Salvador), Historic Center of Salvador and was constructed in the early 18th century. The residence has two ...
and
House of the Seven Deaths
The House of the Seven Deaths ( pt, Casa das Sete Mortes) or House of Seven Knives ( pt, Casa das Sete Facadas) is a historic residence in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. It was constructed in the early 1600s and is located within the Historic Center of ...
, are located on streets outside of the main plazas.
Many buildings of the Historic Center have been renovated since the initial survey of Salvador by the
National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage
The National Historic and Artistic Heritage Institute (, IPHAN) is a heritage register of the federal government of Brazil. It is responsible for the preservation of buildings, monuments, structures, objects and sites, as well as the register and ...
in the 1930s. This work extended to the revitalization of whole blocks of historic houses, convents, and churches from the beginning of the 1990s.
There are more than 800 buildings with restored façades and interiors; many were
adapted
In biology, adaptation has three related meanings. Firstly, it is the dynamic evolutionary process of natural selection that fits organisms to their environment, enhancing their evolutionary fitness. Secondly, it is a state reached by the po ...
to function as small museums and cultural centers.
Protected status
The Historic Center of Salvador as a whole was listed as a national heritage site by the
National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage
The National Historic and Artistic Heritage Institute (, IPHAN) is a heritage register of the federal government of Brazil. It is responsible for the preservation of buildings, monuments, structures, objects and sites, as well as the register and ...
in 1984. It was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985.
References
External links
Pelourinho digital media archive(
Creative Commons
Creative Commons (CC) is an American non-profit organization and international network devoted to educational access and expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share. The organization has release ...
-licensed photos, laser scans, panoramas) from a
CyArk
CyArk (from "cyber archive") is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located in Oakland, California, United States founded in 2003. CyArk's mission is to "digitally record, archive and share the world's most significant cultural heritage and ensure ...
/
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
research partnership.
*
Discovering Salvador and Bahiain multiple languages.
Historic Centre of Salvador de Bahia UNESCO propertyon
Google Arts and Culture
Google Arts & Culture (formerly Google Art Project) is an online platform of high-resolution images and videos of artworks and cultural artifacts from partner cultural organizations throughout the world.
It utilizes high-resolution image technol ...
{{Authority control
Historic districts
Historic Center (Salvador, Bahia)
National heritage sites of Bahia
Neighbourhoods in Salvador, Bahia
Tourist attractions in Bahia
World Heritage Sites in Brazil