t Vibrantly colored buildings lining a busy high street in Recife
The Dutch took over Pernambuco in 1630, and Count Maurice of Nassau commanded the draining and dyking of the flat islands at the mouth of the Rio Capibaribe. These islands, Santo Antônio, Boa Vista, and Recife Antigo (Old Recife), were then connected to each other and the mainland via an ingenious system of bridges to form the modern city of Recife.
t Vibrantly colored buildings lining a busy high street in Recife
Experience Sergipe, Alagoas, and Pernambuco
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In the heart of downtown Old Recife, the bronze plaque, known as Marco Zero (Ground Zero) and the surrounding square, mark the official point where the city was founded as well as the site of the original pier. Boats can be taken from here across to the Parque das Esculturas, which features an imposing collection of sculptures by one of Brazil’s leading ceramic artists, Francisco Brennand.
Though modern Recife stretches onto the mainland, its center comprises the islands of Santo Antônio, Boa Vista, and Recife Antigo. Skyscrapers exist alongside a handful of colonial buildings, lending the city a striking character. The area north of the center is dotted with museums and parks.
At the edge of the historical quarter, this former customs building dates back to 1826, when Recife was one of Brazil’s major ports. It now houses an art gallery, restaurants, and a shopping center.
A relative newcomer, the Malakoff Tower was built in 1845 as South America’s first astronomical observatory, and is still functional today. Visitors can climb to the top terrace for a splendid view of the city courtesy of the LX 200 telescopes.
One of few constructions to pre-date the Dutch, Forte Brum was built by the Portuguese in 1629, before being taken over by the Dutch in 1630, and strengthened and expanded. Today it is a military museum.
This well-designed, interactive museum explores the history and culture of the sertão region and pays tribute to the Recife Carnaval, giving a taste of the lifestyle here.
This culture center focuses on Recife’s unique musical rhythm. It includes a Music School, Documentation Center, School of Dance, and various other exhibitions.
Built in 1637, during the city’s period of Dutch rule, this synagogue recounts the history of the Jewish community in Recife. It was the first synagogue anywhere in the Americas. At the height of Dutch rule, about half of Recife’s white population was Jewish. Unfortunately, the period of religious tolerance was short-lived, and when the Dutch surrendered to the Portuguese in 1654 the Jews were given three months to leave. The synagogue was dismantled and the building torn down in the 20th century.
Archaeologists have confirmed the exact location of the original synagogue, which was forgotten for many years, after digging up part of a mikveh (ritual bath). The current synagogue has been rebuilt from the ground up, and also now houses a museum that relates the history of Jewish people in Recife.
Recife’s signature beat is frevó. Fast and lively, the rhythm is particularly popular during Carnaval. One of the accessories of a frevó dancer is the colorful parasol that is used in the choreography. First recorded in the 1930s, the rhythm had entered the repertoire of mainstream Brazilian musicians by the 1950s and 1960s.
One of the major attractions in Recife, Igreja São Francisco served as the convent of the Third Franciscan Order. It was built in 1606, when the island of Santo Antônio only had 200 inhabitants. During the Dutch occupation of Recife the convent was used as army barracks. Renovations began after the return of the Franciscans, when a courtyard and decorative elements were added. The pièce de résistance is the Capela Dourada (Golden Chapel), added in 1695 in an annex of the main church. The chapel’s intricately carved altars, arches, and beams showcase some outstanding Portuguese Baroque art. One of the walls in the church is adorned with a painting that depicts the Crucifixion of a group of Franciscan saints.
t Azulejos in the Igreja São Francisco showing the adoration of the maji
Somewhat deceptively, the Forte das Cinco Pontas (Five-Pointed Fort) actually only has four points. The original Dutch fort, built in 1630 to protect the new Dutch-Brazilian capital of Mauritsstad, had five. When the Dutch withdrew in 1654, the Portuguese leveled the unique shape and put up a more traditional four-pointer. Wonderfully restored, the fort now houses the city museum and contains an impressive collection of maps, paintings, and artifacts that tell the history of Dutch rule.
Experience Sergipe, Alagoas, and Pernambuco
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Modern Recife’s main civic square, Praça da República, is located at the tip of Santo Antônio island. Some of the city’s finest public buildings can be found here. The Palácio do Campo das Princesas (Governors’ Palace) was built in the 1840s. Over the years, renovations and additions have altered the original Neo-Classical design and made the building more eclectic. The lovely interior garden was designed by Brazil’s premier landscape artist, Roberto Burle Marx. Unfortunately, the only view available to the public is the one through the wrought-iron fence posts.
The Teatro Santa Isabel, a renovated pink theater, hosts many of Recife’s prime cultural productions and is an elegant example of classic imperial architecture. The Palácio da Justiça, with its dome-shaped cupola, was constructed in 1930 to mark the presidency of Getúlio Vargas.
Dating back to 1728, Catedral de São Pedro dos Clérigos is one of the most impressive churches in Pernambuco. Its striking facade is dominated by a statue of St. Peter, which was added in 1980. Although the church walls look perfectly square and straight from the outside, on the inside the church nave is octagonal. The main altar and most of the interior elements were renovated in the 19th century in the Rococo style. The only original pieces that remain are the two gold-painted pulpits.
The square in front of the church, Pátio de São Pedro, is one of Recife’s most popular public squares and hosts a number of cultural events. Terça Negra (Black Tuesday), takes place every Tuesday night, and is widely known for showcasing regional Afro-Brazilian musical styles, such as afoxé, maculelê, and coco.
Used as a jail until 1973, this former penitentiary now houses the Casa da Cultura, the city’s largest arts and craft market. Each of the old cells holds a shop showcasing some of the finest leather, lace, and ceramic crafts of this region. Built in 1850, the jail was modeled after US prisons and has four wings set in a cross shape. The center publishes the monthly Agenda Cultural, a listing of cultural events.
t An impressive display of armor within the Instituto Ricardo Brennand
Founded by the cousin of ceramic artist Francisco Brennand, this institute includes a small castle, the Castelo São João, which houses a large collection of European art, a medieval weaponry collection, and an extensive archive of paintings and documents from the years of the Dutch conquest of Brazil.
Also worth seeing is the Pinacoteca gallery, which features a large collection of 17th-century paintings and drawings by landscape artists Frans Post and Albert Eckhout. The exhibit also includes antique maps and documents that recount the brief but eventful history of the Dutch in Brazil.
Acclaimed as the most unusual cultural attraction in Recife, the Oficina Brennand is the famed artist’s personal gallery. Brennand (b.1927) is best known for his collection of phallic-shaped ceramic sculptures, nearly all of which are striking and larger than life. His collection is creatively displayed inside a brick factory and its surrounding gardens, beautifully landscaped by Burle Marx.
In addition to Brennand’s superb ceramic art, the collection also showcases thousands of playfully designed ceramic tiles, as well as some of his paintings and drawings. The bold mix of stylized imagery, embellishment, and erotic motifs, visible in all his works, led one critic to define Brennand’s art as “tropical sensual Baroque.”