Olinda ( Oh Beautiful)

Cathedral, Olinda

The weekend has been a time for soaking up the history and culture of Pernambuco. On Saturday we did a city tour of Recife. A unique part of the history of Pernambuco is the 20 years of Dutch rule which began after Spain and Portugal united (the Iberian Union) in the mid 16th century. Spain decided to punish its enemy Holland by cutting them out of the lucrative sugar cane trade. In retaliation Holland sent 70 ships to this area and captured the weakly defended capital of Olinda. They abandoned Olinda and instead settled on an island at the mouth of two nearby rivers, a place which would be more easily defended. This was the beginning of the city of Recife. The Dutch had a very liberalizing effect on the area and the free thinking inspired during this period led to a number of resistance movements in Pernambuco. This spirit continues to this day and is manifested in D and P partners like Equip.

On Sunday our day began with mass at the church of San Francisco, one of the seven historic churches of Olinda. Olinda was not subjected to the same modernization as the new and more bustling capital of Recife. It was therefore able to retain much of its historical architecture. In 1982 UNESCO declared the city centre of Olinda a world heritage site, ensuring its preservation through the ages.  The picture above shows the cathedral of the diocese of Olinda and Recife, where the tomb of Dom Helder Camara is located. This simple, unadorned church is the second oldest church in Brazil. Olinda is also a centre for art. Many artists have studios throughout the old city and sell their wares in  the small shops which can be found at every corner. Olinda is also home to the third largest carnival in Brazil.

Giant dolls serves as mascots for the annual Olinda
Carnival held in the days leading up to Lent

On Sunday afternoon our group went to a museum to see a depiction of the history of  the northeast of Brazil. The exhibit shows many aspects of history, including the influences of various foreign powers, but it was the life of the African slaves who were brought across the ocean that made the greatest impact on us. They were forced to labour in the sugar cane fields and make the produce which filled the sugar bowls of Europe. The average life span of these slave was less than three years. When slavery was abolished, rather than hire the former slaves as labourers, the latifundia (plantation) owners imported workers from Europe. The African-Brazilians had to settle in improvised camps called Quilombos. Oppression of the former slaves led to a number of resistance movements including one in the Quilombo of Palmares. It is from this resistance movement that our partner Equip takes its names. Escola de formaçao Quilombo dos Palmares. (School of Formation of the Quilombo of Palmares)

Understanding the history and the unique cultural heritage of the area will help put the rest of our travels in perspective.