Muriqui (also known as Vila Muriqui) is a district of the

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

Mangaratiba Mangaratiba () is a municipality located in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro. Its population is 45,220 (2020) and its area is 352 km2.IBGE - Part of the Sylvester Stallone film '' The Expendables'' was shot in the central part of the c ...

, located within the

Greater Rio de Janeiro Greater Rio de Janeiro, officially the Rio de Janeiro Metropolitan Region (''Grande Rio'', officially ''Região Metropolitana do Rio de Janeiro'', in Portuguese language, Portuguese) is a large metropolitan area located in Rio de Janeiro (sta ...

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 ...

. It is part of the Green Coast. Highway

BR-101 The BR-101 (also called ''Translitorânea'' (transcoastal), officially named ''Rodovia Governador Mário Covas''.patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...

, the Blessed Virgin Mary ( pt, Nossa Senhora das Graças). Since the 1950s, the local parish has celebrated annually on the 27th of November, the date

Catherine Labouré Catherine Labouré (May 2, 1806 – December 31, 1876) was a French member of the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul and a Marian visionary. She is believed to have relayed the request from the Blessed Virgin Mary to create the famo ...

reportedly had a vision of her in 1830.

Etymology

The district was named after

muriqui The muriquis, also known as woolly spider monkeys, are the monkeys of the genus ''Brachyteles''. They are closely related to both the spider monkeys and the woolly monkeys. The two species are the southern (''B. arachnoides'') and northern ('' ...

s, a genus of

spider monkey Spider monkeys are New World monkeys belonging to the genus ''Ateles'', part of the subfamily Atelinae, family Atelidae. Like other atelines, they are found in tropical forests of Central and South America, from southern Mexico to Brazil. The g ...

s. The name "muriqui" itself comes from a corruption of the word ''myraqui'', of the

Tupi language Old Tupi, Ancient Tupi or Classical Tupi (also spelled as Tupí) is an extinct Tupian language which was spoken by the aboriginal Tupi people of Brazil, mostly those who inhabited coastal regions in South and Southeast Brazil. It belongs to the ...

, with the alternates ''buriqui'', ''barigui'' and ''baregui''. According to Alcides Pissinatti, in "Management of Muriquis in Captivity" (2005): However, according to

von Martius Carl Friedrich Philipp (Karl Friedrich Philipp) von Martius (17 April 1794 – 13 December 1868) was a German botanist and explorer. Life Martius was born at Erlangen, the son of Prof Ernst Wilhelm Martius, court apothecary. He graduated PhD ...

' glossary, the word comes from the Tupi words ''jemoroo'' ("to nourish"; ''muru'', "nutrient") and ''aiké'' (a contraction of ''aikobê'': "to have", "to exist").

History

Colonial era

Prior to 1567, all land that now belongs to Mangaratiba – including modern-day Muriqui – was part of the ''

freguesia ''Freguesia'' (), usually translated as "parish" or "civil parish", is the third-level administrative subdivision of Portugal, as defined by the 1976 Constitution. It is also the designation for local government jurisdictions in the former Port ...

'' of

Angra dos Reis Angra dos Reis (; Portuguese for ''cove'' or ''bay of the Kings'') is a Brazilian municipality located in the southern part of the state of Rio de Janeiro. The city is located by the sea and includes in its territory many offshore islands, the l ...

, under the

Captaincy of São Vicente The Captaincy of São Vicente (1534–1709) was a land grant and colonial administration in the far southern part of the colonial Portuguese Empire in Colonial Brazil. History In 1534 King John III of Portugal granted the Captaincy to Martim A ...

. After that date, those lands became part of the (Royal) Captaincy of Rio de Janeiro. In 1568, the

colonization Colonization, or colonisation, constitutes large-scale population movements wherein migrants maintain strong links with their, or their ancestors', former country – by such links, gain advantage over other inhabitants of the territory. When ...

of the region of modern-day Mangaratiba begins through the distribution of land to the Sá family. At some point before 1598 – the year came to Rio de Janeiro to take office as governor – finished building a new ''

engenho Engenho () is a colonial-era Portuguese term for a sugar cane mill and the associated facilities. In Spanish-speaking countries such as Cuba and Puerto Rico, they are called ingenios. Both words mean ''engine'' (from latin ''ingenium''). The word e ...

'' (the fifth

sugarcane mill A sugar cane mill is a factory that processes sugar cane to produce raw or white sugar. The term is also used to refer to the equipment that crushes the sticks of sugar cane to extract the juice. Processing There are a number of steps in pro ...

of Rio de Janeiro). As per the recounting of

Anthony Knivet Anthony Knivet, also Anthony Knyvett or Antonie Knivet (fl. 1591–1649), was an English sailor who fell into Portuguese hands in Brazil, lived for a while with a native Brazilian tribe, and wrote about his adventures after his eventual return to ...

: The engenho was known as ''Engenho'' of Saint Gregory ( pt, Engenho de São Gregório). According to Vieira de Mello, this ''engenho'' was located in Itacuruçá, the district which Muriqui was part of until the middle of the 20th century, and thus later became known as "''Engenho'' of Itacuruçá" ( pt, Engenho de Itacuruçá, links=no). Additionally, Mirian Bondim claims that this ''engenho'' was located in the same place as modern-day Muriqui, and it is referred to by the Mangaratiba town hall as the first construction in Mangaratiba land. On 8 June 1652, D. Suzana Peixoto and her husband, Dom José Rendon de Quebedo, exchanged an ''engenho'' they owned in

Irajá Irajá is a neighborhood of middle class and lower middle in the North Zone of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The neighborhood is divided by Brazil Avenue. Today it is a neighborhood of medium size, with a little more than 100,000 inhabitants. History ...

, known as "''Engenho Fumaça''", for the ''Engenho'' of Itacuruçá and some farms in Mangaratiba. Prior to this exchange, the governor of Rio de Janeiro

Salvador Correia de Sá e Benevides 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'' ( ...

(son of and grandson of ) owned the ''Engenho'' of Itacuruçá. D. Maria de Alarcão e Quebedo inherited the property after the death of Dom José Rendon and, on 17 May 1718, sold it for 600 mil-réis to priest Nicoláo de Siqueira. She donated two thirds of the payment to the local church, "for herself and the souls of all the buried there". File:Demonstração de Toiuca athe a Emceada de Ubatuba.png, Map of a part of the state of Rio de Janeiro, , making no mention of Muriqui. File:Cartas topographicas da capitania do Rio de Janeiro (p. 13).png, A 1767 map portraying a settlement in Muriqui.

Late modern period

As a part of a series of expansions to the Central Railway of Brazil ( pt, Estrada de Ferro Central do Brasil), on 7 November 1914, the Muriqui train station was inaugurated. On 1 December 1949, via a legislative decree, the district of ''vila de Muriqui'' is delimited on land previously belonging to the district of Itacuruçá, and annexed to the municipality of

Population

Administration

Being a district of the larger municipality of

, Muriqui is subject to the administration of Mangaratiba's

prefecture A prefecture (from the Latin ''Praefectura'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain international ...

– i.e. its mayor and municipal government. However, a

subprefecture A subprefecture is an administrative division of a country that is below prefecture or province. Albania There are twelve Counties of Albania, Albanian counties or prefectures, each of which is divided into several Districts of Albania, district ...

dedicated exclusively to Muriqui exists. The following is a list of heads ("subprefeitos") of the subprefecture of Muriqui:

Fauna and Flora

Muriqui is surrounded mostly by

Atlantic Forest The Atlantic Forest ( pt, Mata Atlântica) is a South American forest that extends along the Atlantic coast of Brazil from Rio Grande do Norte state in the northeast to Rio Grande do Sul state in the south and inland as far as Paraguay and th ...

, which heavily influences its fauna and flora. File:Brachyteles arachnoides.jpg, The

southern muriqui The southern muriqui (''Brachyteles arachnoides'') is a muriqui (woolly spider monkey) species endemic to Brazil. Taxonomy Taxonomy of muriquis is controversial because some scientists believe that they are a monotypic genus while others favo ...

(''Brachyteles arachnoides''), after which the district is named File:Cycloramphus eleutherodactylus01.jpg, ''

Cycloramphus eleutherodactylus ''Cycloramphus eleutherodactylus'' is a species of frog in the family Cycloramphidae. It is endemic to the Serra do Mar in southeastern Brazil, including the Serra dos Órgãos, Serra da Mantiqueira, and Serra da Bocaina. Common name Alto butto ...

'' File:Ocypode quadrata (Cahuita).jpg,

Atlantic ghost crab The Atlantic ghost crab, ''Ocypode quadrata'', is a species of ghost crab. It is a common species along the Atlantic coast of the United States, where it is the only species of ghost crab; its range of distribution extends from its northernmost re ...

(''Ocypode albicans''), known as "maria farinha" (lit. "flour Mary") File:Avicennia-germinans.jpg,

Black mangrove Black mangrove may refer to the plants: * ''Aegiceras corniculatum'' (Primulaceae) - south-east Asia and Australasia * ''Avicennia germinans'' (Acanthaceae) - tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas, on both the Atlantic and Pacific coast ...

(''Avicennia germinans''), known as "sereíba"

Hydrography

Beaches

Muriqui has direct access to the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

through the Muriqui beach ( pt, Praia de Muriqui), located to the west of ( pt, Baía de Sepetiba). In terms of balneability, the Muriqui beach has been mostly deemed improper for bathing, although there have been recent efforts in an attempt to clean Mangaratiba rivers and beaches.

Rivers

Muriqui is centered between two rivers, with Rio Catumbi to the east and Rio Muriqui (sometimes called Rio da Prata) to the west. To mitigate the risk of flooding, both rivers are periodically

dredged Dredging is the excavation of material from a water environment. Possible reasons for dredging include improving existing water features; reshaping land and water features to alter drainage, navigability, and commercial use; constructing da ...

by the district's subprefecture.

Culture

Art

Muriqui is home to an art installation by

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

artist

Mariko Mori is a Japanese multidisciplinary artist. She is known for her photographs and videos of her hybridized future self, often presented in various guises and featuring traditional Japanese motifs. Her work often explores themes of technology, spirit ...

called ''Ring: One With Nature'', inaugurated atop the Bride's Veil ( pt, Véu da Noiva) waterfall in August 2016 to celebrate the

2016 Summer Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics ( pt, Jogos Olímpicos de Verão de 2016), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad ( pt, Jogos da XXXI Olimpíada) and also known as Rio 2016, was an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 20 ...

. The piece is an

acrylic Acrylic may refer to: Chemicals and materials * Acrylic acid, the simplest acrylic compound * Acrylate polymer, a group of polymers (plastics) noted for transparency and elasticity * Acrylic resin, a group of related thermoplastic or thermosett ...

ring that changes in color depending on the position of the

sun The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is a nearly perfect ball of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core. The Sun radiates this energy mainly as light, ultraviolet, and infrared radi ...

, and is meant as a representation of a sixth Olympic ring. It measures about in diameter and weighs around . File:Veu da noiva parte alta.jpg, View of the art installation from atop the Bride's Veil waterfall. File:Veu da noiva muriqui.jpg, View of the art installation from the base of the waterfall.

Cuisine

Muriqui's most well known

delicacy A delicacy is usually a rare and expensive food item that is considered highly desirable, sophisticated, or peculiarly distinctive within a given culture. Irrespective of local preferences, such a label is typically pervasive throughout a r ...

is the

cocada Cocada are a traditional coconut confectionery found in many parts of Latin America. They are particularly popular in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Panama, Venezuela and Ecuador. They are oven baked bu ...

(known as ''Cocada de Muriqui''), deemed to be one of the famous

sweets Candy, also called sweets (British English) or lollies (Australian English, New Zealand English), is a confection that features sugar as a principal ingredient. The category, called '' sugar confectionery'', encompasses any sweet confection, i ...

of the Mangaratiba cuisine. According to Fabrini dos Santos, a SEBRAE consultant, the cocadas are distinctive enough that they could, at some point, be granted a

geographical indication A geographical indication (GI) is a name or sign used on products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g., a town, region, or country). The use of a geographical indication, as an indication of the product's source, ...

. The district's cocada has existed at least since the construction of the

BR-101 The BR-101 (also called ''Translitorânea'' (transcoastal), officially named ''Rodovia Governador Mário Covas''.Shoulder (road), shoulders ever since. The

coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family ( Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the ...

-based

dessert Dessert is a course (food), course that concludes a meal. The course consists of sweet foods, such as confections, and possibly a beverage such as dessert wine and liqueur. In some parts of the world, such as much of Greece and West Africa, and ...

has had such a cultural impact that, in March 2018, the "Cocada Party of Muriqui" ( pt, Festa da Cocada do Distrito de Muriqui) was added to the municipality's official event calendar, to be celebrated annually on the last weekend of the month of July.

Folklore

Muriqui has its own

folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...

, limited to the region, and separate from the national-level folklore. The story of the "

Vieira Vieira is a Portuguese and Galician term which in Portuguese and Galician stands for the Great Pilgrim Mussel from the scallop family (Pectinidae). The term derives its use as a place and family name. History The use of the term can be traced, ...

Wind" ( pt, Vento Vieira) is part of the

oral tradition Oral tradition, or oral lore, is a form of human communication wherein knowledge, art, ideas and cultural material is received, preserved, and transmitted orally from one generation to another. Vansina, Jan: ''Oral Tradition as History'' (1985 ...

of the district. The tale is usually related to the high-speed winds in the area during winter (roughly in the period from the end of August to the start of September). According to the ( pt, Instituto de Arqueologia Brasileira, shortened ''IAB''), there are two different versions of the story. The first and more common one, which has been retold by Mangaratiba's official culture manager ''Fundação Mario Peixoto'', was described by local newspaper ''Jornal Litoral'' in 2015 as follows: The second version, arguably more grounded in reality, although less common, is as follows:

Sport

Muriqui is the birthplace of a proeminent football player, Luiz Guilherme Silva, nicknamed ''Muriqui'' himself. As of October 2020, he plays for

Chinese Super League The Chinese Football Association Super League, commonly known as Chinese Super League or CSL, currently known as the China Ping An Chinese Football Association Super League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest tier of professional football in ...

club

Cangzhou Mighty Lions Cangzhou Mighty Lions Football Club () is a professional football club that currently participates in the Chinese Super League under licence from the Chinese Football Association (CFA). The team is based in Cangzhou, Hebei and their home stadium i ...

. In 2018, he was elected the sixth most influential football player in China's history. Muriqui is also home to its own

football club A football team is a group of players selected to play together in the various team sports known as football. Such teams could be selected to play in a match against an opposing team, to represent a football club, group, state or nation, an all- ...

, Muriqui Football Club – along with the Muriqui Football Club Stadium ( pt, Estádio do Muriqui Futebol Clube). Among other events, it hosts the Municipal Veterans Championship ( pt, Campeonato Municipal de Veteranos, links=no).

Notable people

This is a non-exhaustive list of notable people born in Muriqui: * José Leandro de Carvalho (–1834), painter * Luiz Guilherme Silva (1986–), footballer

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

External links

"''Vieira wind in Muriqui''"
(

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

video by Renato Rodrigues). {{Authority control Populated places in Rio de Janeiro (state)