Santo Amaro, also known as Santo Amaro da Purificação (), is a

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

in the state of

Bahia Bahia () 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 (state), São Paulo, Mina ...

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

. The population is 60,131 (2020 est.) in an area of . It is located in the

metropolitan area A metropolitan area or metro is a region consisting of a densely populated urban area, urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories which share Industry (economics), industries, commercial areas, Transport infrastructure, transport network ...

of Salvador. Santo Amaro is located approximately from the city of

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'' ( ...

. Santo Amaro was home to numerous indigenous peoples until the arrival of the Portuguese, who developed the region for sugarcane production. Santo Amaro is now noted for its numerous historic structures. The city is also a center of

Candomblé Candomblé () is an African diaspora religions, 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 and Central Africa, especi ...

, having more than 60 ''terreiros'', or temples of the religion.

History

Santo Amaro was home to

Caeté Caeté is a Brazilian municipality located in the state of Minas Gerais. Geography The city belongs to the mesoregion Metropolitana de Belo Horizonte and to the microregion of Belo Horizonte. The municipality contains a small part of the S ...

, Pitiguaras, and Carijós peoples prior to the Portuguese colonization of Brazil. The region became an early center of sugarcane production under the Portuguese, with settlements primarily along the

Subaé River The Subaé River () is a river in Bahia state of Brazil. It has its source in the city of Feira de Santana and runs to the mouth at the Baía de Todos os Santos. The river was used by the Portuguese to create a large-scale sugarcane production in ...

. It, along with

Cachoeira Cachoeira ( Portuguese, meaning waterfall) is an inland municipality of Bahia, Brazil, on the Paraguaçu River. The town exports sugar, cotton, and tobacco and is a thriving commercial and industrial centre. The municipality contains 56% of the ...

and Nazaré, became early regional urban and economic centers of the Recôncavo region. Santo Amaro was part of the municipality of

São Francisco do Conde São Francisco do Conde is a municipality in the state of Bahia in the North-East region of Brazil. São Francisco do Conde covers , and has a population of 40,245 with a population density of 150 inhabitants per square kilometer. It is located f ...

until 1727. The city has numerous historic structures as a result of its colonial past, most notably the Parish Church of Our Lady of Purification (''Igreja Matriz Santo Amaro da Purificação''). Other historic structures include the remains of the mansions of former sugar barons and a municipal palace built in 1769. The area is noted for its nearby beaches, the Falls of Vitória, and the

grotto A grotto or grot is a natural or artificial cave or covered recess. Naturally occurring grottoes are often small caves near water that are usually flooded or often flooded at high tide. Sometimes, artificial grottoes are used as garden fea ...

of Bom Jesus dos Pobres. The town features prominently in the novel '' The War of the Saints'' by

Jorge Amado Jorge Amado ( 10 August 1912 – 6 August 2001) was a Brazilian writer of the modernist school. He remains the best-known of modern Brazilian writers, with his work having been translated into some 49 languages and popularized in film, includi ...

Epidemic of 1855

A cholera epidemic occurred in 1855, killing approximately 50,000 in Santo Amaro and in

. Half of the population of Santo Amaro was lost. Doctor

Cypriano Barbosa Bettâmio Cypriano Barbosa Bettâmio (1818–1855) was a Brazilian medical doctor who died volunteering to lead efforts in fighting the cholera epidemic in the state of Bahia in 1855. Early years Bettâmio was born in Salvador, Bahia, March 3, 1818, to Je ...

died leading efforts to combat the disease.

Geography

Santo Amaro covers and borders the municipalities of

Conceição do Jacuípe Conceição do Jacuípe is a municipality in the state of Bahia in the North-East region of Brazil Neighboring municipalities * Amélia Rodrigues *Coração de Maria * Santo Amaro *Feira de Santana * Terra Nova * Teodoro Sampaio See also *Li ...

, Amélia Rodrigues,

Feira de Santana Feira de Santana (; Portuguese language, 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 616,272 according to Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, ...

São Sebastião do Passé São Sebastião do Passé is a municipality in the state of Bahia in the North-East region of Brazil. See also *List of municipalities in Bahia This is a list of the municipalities in the state of Bahia (BA), located in the Northeast Region o ...

, São Francisco do Conde, Saubara,

, and

São Gonçalo dos Campos São Gonçalo dos Campos is a municipality in the state of Bahia in the North-East region of Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and de ...

Subaé River

The Subaé River runs through much of the municipality to the

Bay of All Saints The Bay of All Saints (), also known as All Saints' Bay and Todos os Santos Bay, is the principal bay of the Brazilian state of Bahia, to which it gave its name. It sits on the Brazilian coast, eastern coast of Brazil, surrounding part of Bahia' ...

. Scientists discovered large-scale lead, cadmium, and zinc pollution in the river in 1975, caused by industrial output from a factory owned by the Brazilian Lead Company (Cobrac). The factory operated from 1960 to 1993, but high levels of lead exposure remain among many segments of the population of the municipality.

Religion

According to the Brazilian Census of 2010, Santo Amaro is 77% Roman Catholic, 22% Evangelical, and 1%

Spiritist Spiritism may refer to: Religion * Espiritismo, a Latin American and Caribbean belief that evolved and less evolved spirits can affect health, luck and other aspects of human life * Kardecist spiritism, a new religious movement established in m ...

. The statistics do not take into account

practitioners. Santo Amaro has both a large number of Candomblé terreiros (60) and a long tradition of

religious syncretism Religious syncretism is the blending of religious belief systems into a new system, or the incorporation of other beliefs into an existing religious tradition. This can occur for many reasons, where religious traditions exist in proximity to each ...

between Candomblé and Roman Catholicism.

Historic structures

Santo Amaro is home to numerous colonial-period historic structures, many designated as Brazilian national and Bahian state monuments. * Church of Our Lady of Protection (''Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Amparo'') * Parish Church of Our Lady of Purification (''Igreja Matriz de Nossa Senhora da Purificação'') * Retreat and Church of Our Lady of Humility (''Recolhimento e Igreja de Nossa Senhora dos Humildes'') * Town Hall and Prison (''Casa de Câmara e Cadeia'') * Santa Casa de Misericórdia of Santo Amaro * Igreja de Nossa Senhora de Oliveira dos Campinhos *

Solar do Conde de Subaé Solar may refer to: Astronomy * Of or relating to the Sun ** Solar telescope, a special purpose telescope used to observe the Sun ** A device that utilizes solar energy (e.g. "solar panels") ** Solar calendar, a calendar whose dates indicate t ...

Solar Paraíso Solar may refer to: Astronomy * Of or relating to the Sun ** Solar telescope, a special purpose telescope used to observe the Sun ** A device that utilizes solar energy (e.g. "solar panels") ** Solar calendar, a calendar whose dates indicate t ...

* House at Rua da Matriz, no. 9 (''Sobrado à Rua da Purificação, nº 9'') *

Bembé do Mercado Bembe may refer to: Music * Bembé (rhythm), in African and Cuban music * Bembe (West African drumming), in Yoruba music * Bembe (membranophone), or bemba, a Trinidadian drum * ''Bembé'' (album), by Milton Cardona, 1986 Other uses * Bembe peop ...

Notable residents

* Siblings

Caetano Veloso Caetano Emanuel Viana Teles Veloso (; born 7 August 1942) is a Brazilian composer, singer, guitarist, writer, and political activist. Veloso first became known for his participation in the Brazilian musical movement Tropicália, which encompas ...

(1942-) and

Maria Bethânia Maria Bethânia Viana Teles Veloso (; born 18 June 1946) is a Brazilian singer and songwriter. Born in Santo Amaro, Bahia, she started her career in Rio de Janeiro in 1964 with the show "Opinião" ("Opinion"), she is "The Queen of Brazilian Musi ...

(1946-), both singers and songwriters, were born in Santo Amaro and lived there until moving to Rio de Janeiro at the ages of 13 and 17 respectively.

References

{{Authority control Populated coastal places in Bahia Former Portuguese colonies Municipalities in Bahia Santo Amaro, Bahia