Olinda () is a historic city in

Pernambuco Pernambuco ( , , ) is a States of Brazil, state of Brazil located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast region of the country. With an estimated population of 9.5 million people as of 2024, it is the List of Brazilian states by population, ...

, Brazil, in the Northeast Region. It is located on the country's northeastern

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...

coast, in the

Metropolitan Region A metropolitan area or metro is a region consisting of a densely populated urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories which share industries, commercial areas, transport network, infrastructures and housing. A metropolitan area usually ...

Recife Recife ( , ) is the Federative units of Brazil, state capital of Pernambuco, Brazil, on the northeastern Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of South America. It is the largest urban area within both the North Region, Brazil, North and the Northeast R ...

, the state capital. It has a population of 349,976 people, covers , and has a population density of . It is noted as one of the best-preserved colonial cities in Brazil and has been inhabited since 1535. As the former capital of the

Captaincy of Pernambuco The Captaincy of Pernambuco or New Lusitania () was a hereditary land grant and administrative subdivision of northern Portuguese Brazil during the colonial period from 1534 to 1821, with a brief interruption from 1630 to 1654 when it was part of D ...

during the

colonial era Colonial period (a period in a country's history where it was subject to management by a colonial power) may refer to: Continents *European colonization of the Americas * Colonisation of Africa * Western imperialism in Asia Countries * Col ...

, Olinda has many historical buildings—the center was declared a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

in 1982—and a rich culture. The

Carnaval Carnival (known as Shrovetide in certain localities) is a festive season that occurs at the close of the Christian pre-Lenten period, consisting of Quinquagesima or Shrove Sunday, Shrove Monday, and Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras. Carnival typi ...

of Olinda, a popular street party, is very similar to traditional Portuguese carnivals, with the addition of African influenced dances, reflecting the history of the Northeast. All the festivities are celebrated on the streets with no bleachers or roping, and, unlike in other cities, admission is free. There are hundreds of small musical groups (sometimes featuring a single performer) in many genres.

History

Several indigenous tribes occupied the coast of Northeastern Brazil for several thousand years, and the hills of the present day municipality of Olinda had settlements of Caetés and Tupinambá tribes, which were frequently at war. French mercenaries are thought to be the first Europeans to reach the region, but the Portuguese exploited intertribal rivalries and managed to build a stronghold on the former Caeté village on a high hill. Recent studies by the

Federal University of Pernambuco Federal University of Pernambuco (, UFPE) is a public university in Recife, Brazil, established in 1946. UFPE has 70 undergraduate courses and 175 postgraduate courses. , UFPE had 35,000 students and 2,000 professors. The university has three c ...

have uncovered new evidence of the pre-colonial population of the area. The settlement of Olinda was founded in 1535 by

Duarte Coelho Pereira Duarte Coelho Pereira ( – ) was a nobleman, military leader, and colonial administrator in the Portuguese colony of Brazil. He was the first Donatario (Lord Proprietor) of the captaincy of Pernambuco and founder of Olinda. Early life The bi ...

, from Portugal; it was elevated to a town on March 12, 1537. It was made the seat of the

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

Territorial Prelature of Pernambuco The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Olinda and Recife () is a Latin metropolitan archdiocese in northeast Brazil's Pernambuco state. Special churches * Its cathedral archiepiscopal see is a World Heritage Site (Minor): Holy Saviour of the World Ca ...

in 1614, becoming the Diocese of Olinda in 1676. The economy of the region was dominated by the production of

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

. This, combined with the importing of

slaves Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

from Africa to support cultivation made Olinda a colonial stronghold. Olinda was the capital of the Portuguese hereditary

captaincy of Pernambuco The Captaincy of Pernambuco or New Lusitania () was a hereditary land grant and administrative subdivision of northern Portuguese Brazil during the colonial period from 1534 to 1821, with a brief interruption from 1630 to 1654 when it was part of D ...

, but was burned by Dutch invaders. The Portuguese built their town on the hill, for practical purposes (eg, sewers) and to make it easier to defend. In the 17th century the

Kingdom of Portugal The Kingdom of Portugal was a Portuguese monarchy, monarchy in the western Iberian Peninsula and the predecessor of the modern Portuguese Republic. Existing to various extents between 1139 and 1910, it was also known as the Kingdom of Portugal a ...

was united with Spain (the 1580-1640

Iberian Union The Iberian Union is a historiographical term used to describe the period in which the Habsburg Spain, Monarchy of Spain under Habsburg dynasty, until then the personal union of the crowns of Crown of Castile, Castile and Crown of Aragon, Aragon ...

). Taking advantage of this period of Portuguese weakness, the area around Olinda and

was occupied by the

Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...

who gained access to the Portuguese

plantations.

John Maurice, Prince of Nassau-Siegen John Maurice of Nassau ( ; ; ; ; 17 June 1604 – 20 December 1679), called "the Brazilian" for his fruitful period as governor of Dutch Brazil, was Count and (from 1664) Prince of Nassau-Siegen. He served as ''Herrenmeister'' (equivalent to Gra ...

was appointed as the governor of the Dutch possessions in Brazil in 1637 by the Dutch West India Company on recommendation of Frederick Henry. He landed at

, the

port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manch ...

of Pernambuco and the chief stronghold of the Dutch, in January 1637. By a series of successful expeditions, he gradually extended the Dutch possessions from Sergipe on the south to São Luís de Maranhão in the north. He likewise conquered the Portuguese possessions of Saint George del Mina, Saint Thomas, and

Luanda Luanda ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Angola, largest city of Angola. It is Angola's primary port, and its major industrial, cultural and urban centre. Located on Angola's northern Atlantic coast, Luanda is Ang ...

Angola Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is a country on the west-Central Africa, central coast of Southern Africa. It is the second-largest Portuguese-speaking world, Portuguese-speaking (Lusophone) country in both total area and List of c ...

, on the west coast of Africa. After the dissolution of the

in 1640, Portugal would reestablish its authority over the lost territories of the

Portuguese Empire The Portuguese Empire was a colonial empire that existed between 1415 and 1999. In conjunction with the Spanish Empire, it ushered in the European Age of Discovery. It achieved a global scale, controlling vast portions of the Americas, Africa ...

, including the former Dutch Brazil. Sugarcane plantation slavery would continue to be a source of wealth in Olinda until the

Lei Áurea The (; ), officially Law No. 3,353 of 13 May 1888, is the law that abolished slavery in Brazil. It was signed by Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil (1846–1921), an opponent of slavery, who acted as regent to Emperor Pedro II of Brazil, ...

("Golden Law") abolished slavery in an independent Brazil in 1888. Olinda declined in importance after the Dutch invasion. Recife became the capital of Pernambuco in 1827, and Olinda is part of the greater

Recife metropolitan area Recife Metropolitan Area, officially the Metropolitan Region of Recife (, or ''Grande Recife''), is a major metropolitan area in Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Brazil with a population of 3.7 million as of 2022, centered on the state capital ...

. Due to the historic position of the city, its cathedral, a

, called São Salvador do Mundo, remains the primary seat of the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Olinda and Recife The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Olinda and Recife () is a Latin metropolitan archdiocese in northeast Brazil's Pernambuco state. Special churches * Its cathedral archiepiscopal see is a World Heritage Site (Minor): Catedral Metropolitana São ...

, with a

co-cathedral A co-cathedral is a cathedral church which shares the function of being a bishop's seat, or ''cathedra'', with another cathedral, often in another city (usually a former see, anchor city of the metropolitan area or the civil capital). Instances o ...

in Recife. Olinda also has a

Minor Basilica Basilicas are Catholic church buildings that have a designation, conferring special privileges, given by the Pope. Basilicas are distinguished for ceremonial purposes from other churches. The building need not be a basilica in the architectura ...

, again a World Heritage Site (Minor): Basílica Abacial do Mosteiro de São Bento de Olinda. Besides its natural beauty, Olinda is also one of Brazil's main cultural centers: in 1982 it was declared a

. The city relives the magnificence of the past every year during the large

Carnival Carnival (known as Shrovetide in certain localities) is a festive season that occurs at the close of the Christian pre-Lenten period, consisting of Quinquagesima or Shrove Sunday, Shrove Monday, and Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras. Carnival typi ...

, to the rhythms of ''

frevo Frevo is a dance and musical style originating from Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil, traditionally associated with Brazilian Carnival. The word ''frevo'' is said to come from ''frever'', a variant of the Portuguese word ''ferver'' (to boil). It is ...

'', ''

maracatu The term maracatu denotes any of several performance genres found in Pernambuco, Northeastern Brazil. Main types of maracatu include '' maracatu nação'' (nation-style maracatu) and ''maracatu rural'' (rural-style maracatu). Maracatu Nação Ma ...

'' and other northeast music and dances.

Geography

Olinda is located on the coast of the state of

, six kilometers north of the center of

. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the municipality of

Paulista Paulista is a municipality in Pernambuco, Brazil, with a population of 334,376 as of 2020. It has the highest Human Development Index (HDI) of the Recife metropolitan area. It is the birthplace of footballer Rivaldo and is also famous for its be ...

to the north, and Recife to the south and west. It is part of the Metropolitan Region of Recife (RMR). The average elevation is 16 m above sea level. The landscapes is made of plains and hills, some of them steep. Olinda is mostly drained by the Paratibe River (55.13% of the territory), with the remainder drained by the

Capibaribe River The Capibaribe River () is a river located in Pernambuco state, Brazil, with a length of 240 kilometers. The Capibaribe originates in the Serra do Jacarará, in the municipality of Poção, and flows to the Atlantic Ocean at Recife. Etymology ...

. The municipality is in the Atlantic Forest ecoregion. Olinda has a tropical monsoon type climate ( Köppen-Geiger: Am'')'', typical of the eastern section of the northeastern Brazilian coast, with average monthly temperatures consistently above 18 °C, little

diurnal variation A chronotype is the behavioral manifestation of an underlying circadian rhythm's myriad of physical processes. A person's chronotype is the propensity for the individual to sleep at a particular time during a 24-hour period. ''Eveningness'' (del ...

in temperature, abundant rainfall most of the year, and high

relative humidity Humidity is the concentration of water vapor present in the air. Water vapor, the gaseous state of water, is generally invisible to the human eye. Humidity indicates the likelihood for precipitation (meteorology), precipitation, dew, or fog t ...

Economy

Encontro de Bonecos Gigantes de Silvio Botelho

The main economic activities in Olinda are based in tourism, commerce, transportation industry and artcraft. The tourist sector has a boom every Carnival when thousands of people are in the old historic town center.

Economic indicators

Economy by Sector

Gallery

Historic Center

File:Historic Centre of the Town of Olinda-109015.jpg, One of the roads of the historic center File:Historic Centre of the Town of Olinda-109016.jpg, A church in the historic center File:Historic Centre of the Town of Olinda-109017.jpg, Distant view of historic center with sea behind

References

External links

Official website of the ''prefeitura''Official website of the ''Câmara Municipal''Explore the Historic Centre of the Town of Olinda in the UNESCO collection on Google Arts and Culture
*https://web.archive.org/web/20130407002251/http://olindavirtual.org/ *https://web.archive.org/web/20060614045202/http://www.olinda.com.br/ Commercial site * Video Olinda, Pernambuco (PT

* Video Olinda street Carniva

{{Authority control Olinda, Populated places established in 1535 World Heritage Sites in Brazil Historic districts Populated coastal places in Pernambuco 1535 establishments in Brazil Municipalities in Pernambuco 1630 establishments in the Dutch Empire Populated places established by the Dutch West India Company