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São Cristóvão (, ''Saint Christopher'') is a Brazilian
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 Northeastern state of
Sergipe Sergipe (), officially State of Sergipe, is a States of Brazil, state of Brazil. Located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region along the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of the country, Sergipe is the smallest state in Brazil by geogra ...
. Founded at the mouth of the
Vaza-Barris River The Vaza-Barris River () is a river in northeastern Brazil. The Vaza-Barris originates in northeastern Bahia state, and flows east through Bahia and Sergipe states to empty into the Atlantic Ocean near São Cristóvão. Course The Vaza-Barris ...
on January 1, 1590, the municipality is the fourth oldest settlement in Brazil. São Cristóvão is noted for its historic city square,
São Francisco Square São Francisco Square () is a historic plaza in São Cristóvão, Sergipe, Brazil. The square, or ''praça'', is an open space surrounded by Portuguese colonial-period buildings such as the Church and Convent of Santa Cruz (São Francisco Church) ...
, and numerous early colonial-period buildings. The site was designated 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 2010. São Cristóvão covers , making it the third largest settlement in the state of Sergipe behind
Aracaju Aracaju () is the capital of the state of Sergipe, Brazil, located in the northeastern part of the country on the coast, about 350 km (217 mi) north of Salvador, Bahia, Salvador. According to the 2020 estimate, the city has 664,908 inha ...
and Nossa Senhora do Socorro. Its population is 91,093 (est. 2020) and has a population density of 196.43 per km2 (508.8/sq mi). São Cristóvão is home to the Federal University of Sergipe, which was established in 1968.


History

São Cristóvão was established by the Portuguese (in a time when
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
,
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
and the
Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...
kingdoms were under the rule of
Philip II of Spain Philip II (21 May 152713 September 1598), sometimes known in Spain as Philip the Prudent (), was King of Spain from 1556, King of Portugal from 1580, and King of Naples and List of Sicilian monarchs, Sicily from 1554 until his death in 1598. He ...
) as one of the first colonization attempts in Sergipe, which makes the city the fourth oldest one in Brazil. In 1590 the Portuguese sent Cristóvão de Barros to both subjugate the region to colonial rule and establish a safe trading port between Salvador and
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, ...
. De Barros quickly and violently defeated the local population, which consisted of people of mixed Tupinambá and French heritage who maintained a trade in
Brazilwood ''Paubrasilia echinata'' is a species of flowering plant in the legume family, Fabaceae, that is endemic to the Atlantic Forest of Brazil. It is a Brazilian timber tree commonly known as Pernambuco wood or brazilwood (, ; Tupi: ) and is the na ...
. As a symbol of his victory De Barros founded a small village named for his patron saint,
Saint Christopher Saint Christopher (, , ; ) is venerated by several Christian denominations. According to these traditions, he was a martyr killed in the reign of the 3rd-century Roman Empire, Roman emperor Decius (), or alternatively under the emperor Maximin ...
. The first Catholic parish in Sergipe was subsequently established in São Cristóvão in 1608. The Parish Church of Our Lady of Victory of São Cristóvão (''Igreja Nossa Senhora das Vitórias de São Cristóvão'') was built as the parish church; it remained the only parish in Sergipe until the late 17th century. The development of the town followed the Portuguese urban model, that is, in two plans: the higher town, where the headquarters of the civil and religious powers are; and lower town, with the harbour, the factories, and the low income population. The economy of São Cristóvão initially depended on the establishment of cattle herds for meat, milk, and leather. The settlement was completely destroyed by the Dutch in 1637. Tobacco and sugarcane plantations were established in the 17th century, and remained into the modern period. São Cristóvão was the capital of the Province of Sergipe from the time of the
Independence of Brazil The independence of Brazil comprised a series of political and military events that led to the independence of the Kingdom of Brazil from the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves as the Empire of Brazil, Brazilian Empire. It is c ...
in 1822. The provincial president Inácio Joaquim Barbosa transferred the capital of Sergipe from São Cristóvão to coastal
Aracaju Aracaju () is the capital of the state of Sergipe, Brazil, located in the northeastern part of the country on the coast, about 350 km (217 mi) north of Salvador, Bahia, Salvador. According to the 2020 estimate, the city has 664,908 inha ...
in 1855. São Cristóvão was seen as outdated, too far from the coast, and unable to expand to meet the needs of a growing state. The transfer was a "traumatic process" for the residents of São Cristóvão, many of whom left to live in Aracaju. São Cristóvão fell into slow decay, with numerous buildings left empty or even abandoned.


20th century

The importance of São Cristóvão as a historic and cultural center of Sergipe was recognized early in the 20th century. 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 an ...
(IPHAN, originally SPHAN) was established in 1937 and undertook a great survey of colonial-period architecture in Brazil. The survey included numerous sites in São Cristóvão, which were designated federal monuments as early as 1943. In 1967, the city was designated a national monument to preserve its colonial architecture, and it is now home to ten national heritage sites of Brazil. Among the important sacred buildings are the Church and Convent of Santa Cruz (also known as the Church and Convent of São Francisco, which date from 1693), the Misericórdia Hospital and Church (Santa Casa de Misericordia, the 17th-century Sisters of Mercy hospital), the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception of Mary (1751), the Parish Church of Our Lady of Victory (1608) and several other important churches from the 18th century, including the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary of Black Men, the Church of Our Lady of Protection, and the Church and Convent of Mount Carmel. Ten national or state heritage sites are located in or near the city center; two, the Chapel of Our Lady of the Conception of Engenho Poxim and the Church of Our Lady of Nazareth of Engenho Itaperoá, are abandoned and on sugarcane plantations far from the city center. The religious sites of São Cristóvão remain an important center of Roman Catholic pilgrimage in Brazil. The Museum of Sacred Art of the Church and Convent of São Francisco is considered the third most important in Brazil.


São Francisco Square

São Francisco Square São Francisco Square () is a historic plaza in São Cristóvão, Sergipe, Brazil. The square, or ''praça'', is an open space surrounded by Portuguese colonial-period buildings such as the Church and Convent of Santa Cruz (São Francisco Church) ...
(Praça São Francisco) is an open space surrounded by colonial-period buildings such as the São Francisco Church and convent, the Church and Santa Casa da Misericórdia, the Provincial Palace and other buildings from later periods. The complex is a well-preserved example of typical Franciscan architecture of north-eastern Brazil. On August 1, 2010 the site, which covers , was selected as a
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 ...
by
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 ...
. It is managed by a regional office 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 an ...
(IPHAN) and the municipal government.


Historic structures

Churches * Church and Convent of Santa Cruz, or Convent of Saint Francis and the Church of the Good Jesus of Glory, now the Sacred Art Museum () * Misericórdia Hospital and Church () * Church of Our Lady of the Rosary of Black Men ( * Church of Our Lady of Protection () * Church and Convent of Mount Carmel () * Church of the Third Order of Mount Carmel () * Parish Church of Our Lady of Victory () Residences * Sobrado at Rua Castro Alves, 2 () * Sobrado at Rua da Matriz () * Sobrado at Rua das Flores () Rural chapels * Chapel of Our Lady of the Conception of Engenho Poxim () * Church of Our Lady of Nazareth of Engenho Itaperoá ()


Economy

The city is a shipping port, and its main industries are
sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose Glucose is a sugar with the Chemical formula#Molecular formula, molecul ...
milling and distilling.


See also

* List of municipalities in Sergipe


References


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sao Cristovao Populated places established in 1590 1590 establishments in Brazil Municipalities in Sergipe Populated coastal places in Sergipe National heritage sites of Sergipe