Recife: The Brazilian Venice and its Cultural Heritage

Discover Recife: history, culture and natural beauty

The city of Recife was founded in a region where the coast was marked by coral reefs that protected the bay and provided a safe natural harbour.

This geographical configuration was crucial to the city’s development as an important commercial and shipping centre, especially during the colonial period.

The name therefore reflects both the topography of the area and its historical function as a harbour.

Recife em Pernambuco
Recife in Pernambuco

Origin of the name “Recife

The name “Recife” comes from the term “reef”, which refers to a coral reef or breakwater-like structure that was an important feature of the local geography.

The term is derived from the Latin “recipere”, meaning “to receive” or “shelter”.

History and expansion

Recife, born on the quayside from a natural anchorage, began to expand in 1537 towards the neighbourhoods now called Santo Antonio and São José..

The surrounding sugar cane mills gave rise to neighbourhoods such as Graças, Madalena and Casa Forte, always on the banks of the Capibaribe River, which cuts through the city.

In 1630 – when the Dutch invaded Pernambuco – there were 121 sugar mills working with slave labour.

Historical landmarks

Getting to know Recife means visiting historic landmarks built on mangrove islands and now squeezed between crowded central streets with intense commerce.

Recife PE
Recife PE

Urban beaches

It also means enjoying the sun on the urban beaches and their surroundings, which stretch for 20 kilometres from Maria Farinha to Candeias, especially Boa Viagem, the name of the district where the best accommodation and services are concentrated.

Neighbouring towns

The neighbouring cities, so close that they can be reached in a few minutes from the centre, complement the capital’s itineraries: the best views of Recife are from the viewpoints in Olinda, just 7 kilometres to the north.

Recife’s residents also frequent the nightclubs of Olinda and the strongholds of Boa Viagem and the Recife neighbourhood, or Recife Antigo, as the historic centre is called.

Mapa de Recife PE
Map of Recife PE

Videos – Places of interest in Recife, Pernambuco

Recife Guia de Turismo
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See also Igarassu, a historic city in the Metropolitan Region of Recife PE.

Recife’s urban beaches

The Beaches of Pina and Boa Viagem and neighbouring Piedade and Candeias in Jaboatão dos Guararapes are frequented by locals and visitors alike.

Praia do Pina em Recife PE
Pina Beach in Recife PE
Praia de Boa Viagem em Recife PE
Boa Viagem beach in Recife PE
Praia de Piedade em Jaboatão dos Guararapes PE
Piedade beach at Jaboatão dos Guararapes PE
Praia de Candeias em Jaboatão dos Guararapes PE
Candeias beach at Jaboatão dos Guararapes PE

They all have stalls, parasols and a lively street trade, with vendors selling everything from fresh pineapple to bean stew.

The Boa Viagem beach, whose promenade has a jogging track and standard kiosks, is the most structured.

The section of beach in front of the Açaíaca building, between Félix de Brito and Antonio Falcão streets, concentrates the young crowd. On this beach, as on the others, there is a warning: pay attention to the signs indicating areas at risk of shark attacks.

The tip is to only enjoy the sea at low tide and never go beyond the reef barrier. Surfing is prohibited.

SHARKS IN RECIFE

The beaches of Pina and Boa Viagem, in RECIFE, and Piedade and Candeias, in Jaboatão dos Guararapes, are considered risk zones for bathers and especially surfers.

According to the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, 50 attacks by sharks of the flathead (Carcharhinus leucas) and tiger (Galeocerdo cuvieri) species have been recorded in the city since 1992, resulting in nineteen deaths. Most of the accidents have occurred on the Boa Viagem beach.

Experts attribute the attacks to a local ecological imbalance caused by the construction of the Sape Harbour in the 1980s.

Signs along the seafront indicate the dangerous areas for swimming, which is allowed at low tide and in the natural pools near the sand, which are isolated and protected by reefs. Surfing and swimming beyond the limits of the reefs is prohibited at these points.

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS IN RECIFE

  1. CAPIBARIBE RIVER CRUISE
  2. FORTRESSES OF RECIFE
  3. HISTORIC CENTRE
  4. MARCO ZERO
  5. SCULPTURE PARK
  6. RUA DO BOM JESUS
  7. KAHAL TO ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE
  8. MALAKOFF TOWER CULTURAL OBSERVATORY
  9. APOLO THEATRE
  10. CARNIVAL IN RECIFE
  11. MADRE DE DEUS CHURCH
  12. PAÇO ALFÂNDEGA SHOPPING CENTRE
  13. SANTO ANTÔNIO, SÃO JOSÉ AND BOA VISTA
  14. REPUBLIC SQUARE
  15. SANTA ISABEL THEATRE
  16. AURORA STREET
  17. MAMAM
  18. CINEMA SAO LUIZ
  19. HOUSE OF CULTURE
  20. RECIFE MARKETS
  21. CHURCH OF OUR LADY OF THE MILITARY CONCEPTION
  22. BASILICA AND CONVENT OF OUR LADY OF CARMEL
  23. MOTHER CHURCH OF SANTO ANTONIO (MOST HOLY SACRAMENT)
  24. GOLDEN CHAPEL
  25. ST. PETER’S COURTYARD
  26. CHURCH OF THE BLACK ROSARY
  27. NIGHT OF THE SILENT DRUMS
  28. SURROUNDINGS OF RECIFE
  29. PASÁRGADA ROOM
  30. STATE MUSEUM
  31. PANELA POOL
  32. JAQUEIRA PARK
  33. ART GALLERIES
  34. FRANCISCO BRENNAND WORKSHOP
  35. RICARDO BRENNAND INSTITUTE
  36. MUSEUM OF THE MAN OF THE NORTHEAST
  37. GILBERTO FREYRE FOUNDATION

1. TOUR OF THE CAPIBARIBE RIVER

Recife is seen from an unusual perspective on a catamaran trip along the Capibaribe River. The trip shows how the central urban areas are divided along the course of the river.

Rio Capibaribe em Recife PE
Capibaribe River in Recife, PE

The tour starts at the anchorage of Forte das Cinco Pontas, passes the Sculpture Park and the neighbourhoods where Recife’s history began: the historic centre and the islands of Santo Antônio and São José, reaching Boa Vista.

Forte das Cinco Pontas em Recife PE
Fortress of the Cinco Pontas in Recife PE
Parque das Esculturas em Recife PE
Sculpture park in Recife, PE

On the way, you will cross the Maurício de Nassau and Buarque de Macedo bridges, rebuilt at the beginning of the 20th century. You can see monuments such as the Paço Alfândega (1826) and the Madre de Deus Church (18th century).

Paço Alfândega em Recife PE
Paço Alfândega in Recife PE
Igreja da Madre de Deus em Recife PE
Church of Madre de Deus in Recife PE

The route continues along the Praça da República to the point where the Capibaribe River meets the Beberibe River, at Rua da Aurora, with its colourful houses, culminating in the Casa da Cultura.

2. FORTRESSES OF RECIFE

Located at the entrance to Recife harbour, Brum Fort was built by the Portuguese in 1629 and taken by the Dutch a year later. Originally made of rammed earth, it was rebuilt in stone after the invaders were expelled in 1654(Praça Comunidade Luso-Brasileira, s/n, Recife Antigo).

Forte do Brum em Recife PE
Brum Fort in Recife PE

The Fort of São Tiago das Cinco Pontas of 1630, also built of rammed earth, with five bastions, was part of the Dutch defence system.

Forte de São Tiago das Cinco Pontas em Recife PE
Fort of São Tiago das Cinco Pontas in Recife PE

The former Fort Frederik Henrick was virtually demolished after the Portuguese victory and a new stone fort was built in its place, this time with just four bastions and a chapel dedicated to St James..

It houses the City Museum, which has a curious collection of old photographs and maps of Recife (Praça Cinco Pontas, s/n, São José).

3. HISTORIC CENTRE

The Historic Centre of Recife, also known as Recife Neighbourhood or Recife Antigo, is a strip of land bathed on one side by the waters of the Capibaribe River and on the other by the Atlantic Ocean.

Centro Histórico de Recife PE
Historic Centre of Recife PE

This area contains some of the most powerful symbols of the city’s memory – starting with Recife’s harbour, always punctuated by the whistle of a departing ship.

Modern buildings blend with the architecture of the old buildings, traces of the Dutch presence in the city and the urban interventions of the early 20th century, which gave the district a French-inspired layout.

The best way to discover the secrets of Recife Antigo, with its cobbled streets and Portuguese stone pavements, is on foot, discovering ice cream parlours, restaurants and places to drink juice and coconut water.

4. MARCO ZERO

The official name is Praça Barão do Rio Branco, a circular space from which you can see the sea and the movement of the city.

Marco Zero marks the starting point of Pernambuco’s roads, and from there the Marquês de Olinda, Rio Branco and Barbosa Lima avenues converge, built at the beginning of the 20th century on the Parisian model of urbanism.

Marco Zero de Recife
Recife’s ground zero

The eclectic architecture of the buildings surrounding Marco Zero is striking: the Bandepe Cultural Institute, built in 1914 and restored in 2002, opens its doors for art exhibitions; the Recife Commercial Association, built in 1915; and the Stock Exchange, built in 1912.

The centrepiece of the square is a compass rose, the work of Cícero Dias (1907-2003), one of the greatest painters of Brazilian Surrealism.

5. SCULPTURE PARK

Built on the reef in front of Marco Zero, this is a permanent exhibition of sculptures by the Pernambuco painter and sculptor Francisco Brennand.

The Crystal Column (32 metres high) stands out in the background.

Parque das Esculturas em Recife PE
Sculpture park in Recife, PE

Rowing boats make the crossing during the day from Marco Zero. Another way to get there is by car from the Brasília Teimosa neighbourhood.

Next to the Parque das Esculturas (Sculpture Park), the Casa de Banho bar offers a picturesque view of Recife, even better with a cold beer and sururu soup.

The name of the bar is a reference to a club where Recife society gathered at the beginning of the last century to bathe in the natural pool formed between thereefs (Arrecifes do Porto de Recife, km 1, Brasília Teimosa).

6. RUA DO BOM JESUS

During the Dutch occupation of Recife (1630-54) it was called Rua dos Judeus (Street of the Jews and was the commercial centre of the period.

The end of the Dutch invasion also marked the end of religious tolerance. The street, which has been renamed, still has colourful terraced houses with balconies and terraces in a predominantly eclectic style.

Rua do Bom Jesus
Bom Jesus Street

The old houses have given way to restaurants and bars with outdoor tables, such as Empório Bom Jesus, which combines tapioca and bolo de rolo with Brazilian handicrafts (183-A), and Galerias (35), where the traditional malted milk is served.

There are also craft shops, such as Ranulpho Galeria de Arte (125, ground floor), whose collection includes works by Volpi, Siron Franco and Lula Cardoso Ayres.

The gallery has put on display the remains of the stone wall built by the Dutch to protect the city, found during an excavation to renovate the site.

On Sunday afternoons, the Rua do Bom Jesus is home to a friendly street market with 142 stalls selling everything from clothes to decorative objects, as well as biscuits and cakes.

7. KAHAL TO ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE

Its facilities today include the Jewish Centre of Pernambuco, located in the district of Recife, in the historic centre of the city.

Sinagoga Kahal Zur Israel em Recife PE
Kahal Zur Israel Synagogue in Recife PE

The first synagogue in the Americas has been rediscovered after painstaking archaeological work. Closed in 1654, restored and reopened in 2002, the Kahal Zur Israel synagogue – ‘Rock of Israel’ – preserves the memory of the Jewish presence in Pernambuco during the Dutch occupation.

A visit to the site reveals its ancient walls and floor, as well as the mikve, a type of pool used for Jewish purification rituals. Rua do Bom Jesus, 197 and 203, Recife Antigo.

JEWISH PRESENCE IN DUTCH BRAZIL

The arrival of the Dutch in Recife in 1630 was welcomed by Portuguese Jews (Sephardim) and some from present-day Poland and Germany (Ashkenazim), who had moved to the New World to escape the courts of the Inquisition.

Count Mauricio de Nassau, the Dutch and Calvinist governor of Brazil, established broad religious tolerance in the colony, in line with what had been proposed by the West India Company, which brought together merchants from the Netherlands and financed the arrival of the Flemish in the northeast.

In Recife, the Jews worked in commerce, which was concentrated in Rua dos Judeus, now Rua do Bom Jesus, where the Zur Israel synagogue was probably built in 1636.

In 1641, Zur Israel welcomed the Portuguese rabbi Isaac Aboab da Fonseca, who led the services of the synagogue. It was Aboab who, in Recife, wrote the first piece of Hebrew literature on American soil.

It is the poem “Mi Kamókha” (“Who likes you?”), which tells the story of the Pernambucanian uprising (a movement to reclaim Brazilian lands from the Portuguese) and the miserable situation of the Jewish community when the Portuguese began to expel the Dutch.

When the troops were expelled from Brazil in 1654, about 400 Jews returned to the Netherlands. A group of 23 made their way to New Amsterdam in the United States.

There they established the first Jewish community in the city that would become New York when it was conquered by the British. Rabbi Isaac Aboab da Fonseca went to Amsterdam, Holland, where he built a Portuguese synagogue, inaugurated in 1675.

8. MALAKOFF TOWER CULTURAL OBSERVATORY

Located in one of the most privileged areas of the city, in the heart of Recife, the Malakoff Tower, formerly the Astronomical Observatory and Monumental Gate of the Naval Arsenal, today functions as a cultural space with a double vocation: on the one hand, the visual arts (photography, graphic arts and digital arts) and, on the other, music.

Observatório Cultural Torre Malakoff
Malakoff Tower Cultural Observatory

Inaugurated in 2000 as a cultural centre and exhibition space, the tower hosted the 44th Pernambuco Fine Arts Salon and is now home to the Music Coordination of the Pernambuco Historical and Artistic Heritage Foundation (Fundarpe) and the Malakoff Observa e Toca project.

Inaugurated in 1855, the building was christened Malakoff by the people of Recife, in reference to the tower of the same name in the city of Sebastopol (now in Ukraine), which in that year, during the Crimean War, withstood eleven months of French and English attacks.

The imposing architectural lines of the Monumental Gate of the Navy have been associated with the name Malakoff because it refers to the idea of grandeur.

9. APOLO THEATRE

Construction of the Apollo Theatre began in 1839 by the Harmonic Theatre Society. It opened in 1842 and ran for 18 years before closing and being converted into a sugar warehouse.

Teatro Apolo em Recife - PE
Apolo Theatre

A highlight of 19th-century architecture, the Apolo Theatre was designed by Joaquim Lopes de Barros Cabral Teive (1816-92) and features Portuguese carved stone, triangular lintels and curved balconies on the façade.

Opened in 1846, it didn’t survive the competition and closed soon after the opening of the Santa Isabel Theatre in 1850.

With its façade still preserved, it was restored and reopened in 1981, and in 1986, it was once again restored, receiving the company of the Hermilo Borba Filho Theatre and becoming the Apolo-Hermilo Centre for Training and Research in the Performing Arts. In 1988, the Hosman Lins Documentation Centre was added.

For more than a century it served as a warehouse. Restored, it now houses one of Recife’s cosiest cinemas and concert halls. Rua Cais do Apolo, 121, Recife Antigo.

10. CARNIVAL IN RECIFE

Recife’s street carnival is one of the most democratic and diverse in the country. The festivities begin a week in advance, when frevo and maracatus groups rehearse in open dances, in clubs or even on the streets.

Carnaval em Recife PE
Carnival in Recife PE

Bloco da Saudade, which has been reviving old traditions with a women’s choir and string orchestra since 1974, promotes one of the liveliest and most moving club dances.

At the city’s Marco Zero, Pernambuco percussionist Naná Vasconcelos re has been playing throughout the pre-carnival week for the opening ceremony of the carnival, which takes place on Friday evening. More than four hundred drummers from Recife’s eleven maracatu nations perform side by side under Naná’s regency in one of the city’s most beautiful musical events.

On Saturday morning, it’s the turn of the Galo da Madrugada: the streets of Santo Antônio, São José and Boa Vista are taken over by more than 2 million people in the largest (and probably tightest) street parade in the world.

From Saturday afternoon, Recife is divided into centres of celebration. In the Pátio de São Pedro there are performances of coco de roda, afoxé, ciranda and frevo.

The Cais da Alfândega becomes the stage for the Rec Beat, a festival featuring the most important names in Brazilian rock and electronic music, especially the musicians who gave birth to the Mangue Beat movement, represented by Chico Science (1966-97), Nação Zumbi and Mundo Livre S/A.

Avenida Guararapes is the stage for samba school parades, while Pátio do Terço hosts the Night of the Silent Drums on Monday nights.

From Arsenal Square in Recife, maracatus, caboclinhos and blocos emerge to the sound of powerful and infectious frevo orchestras. The carnival programme is announced in advance at the city’s tourist information centres and in the local media.

11. MADRE DE DEUS CHURCH

The Madre de Deus Church is a Roman Catholic church in the city of Recife, Pernambuco.

The building was not completed until 1720. Its façade features stone sculptures of reefs and a life-size statue of St Philip of Neri, but its original layout dates from 1679.

Igreja Madre de Deus
Mother of God Church

A National Historic Monument, it consists of a nave and six side chapels.

The early 18th century baroque carving that decorates the choir, destroyed by fire in 1970, was restored by IPHAN. In the sacristy, the Estremoz marble baptismal font is one of the most beautiful in Brazil.

Rua da Alfândega (Rua da Madre de Deus), s/n, Recife Antigo.

12. PAÇO ALFÂNDEGA SHOPPING CENTRE

Originally built on the banks of the Capibaribe River to house the members of the Oratory Congregation, it is considered a National Historic Heritage Site.

It became part of the Pernambuco Customs House in 1826. After careful restoration and adaptation, the space was inaugurated at the end of 2003 as a shopping centre with a food court, restaurants and a nightclub.

Its 46 shops include brands such as Fause Haten and Herchcovitch, as well as the Ana Paes shop, which sells handicrafts such as lace and fuxicos. On the ground floor is the Livraria Cultura, and on the third floor is the Espaço Cultural Banco do Brasil, where films are often shown. Rua da Moeda, 35, Recife Antigo.

13. THE NEIGHBOURHOODS OF SANTO ANTÔNIO, SÃO JOSÉ AND BOA VISTA

Founded in the mid-17th century, the Santo Antônio, São José and Boa Vista neighbourhoods contain architectural complexes of great importance, such as the Praça da República and Pátio de São Pedro.

Most of Recife’s historic churches are also located here, such as the Church of the Divine Holy Spirit, built in 1641 and rebuilt in 1870.

These are neighbourhoods to be explored on long walks, discovering the landscapes of the Capibaribe River from its bridges and entering narrow streets full of people attracted by the trade in all sorts of things.

The centre of this trade is the Mercado de São José, next to the Basilica of Nossa Senhora da Penha (1880-1920), which, with its mixture of smells and colours, reflects the liveliness and joy of the people of Recife.

14. REPUBLIC SQUARE

The square occupies the place where the garden of Count Maurício de Nassau once flourished. It is the first planned green area in Recife and covers 23,000 square metres.

Palácio do Campo das Princesas em Recife PE
Campo das Princesas Palace, Recife, PE

Around it are the Palácio do Campo das Princesas (1840), a neoclassical building that houses the state government, the Santa Isabel Theatre (1850), the Palácio da Justiça (1928) in eclectic style, and the Liceu de Artes e Ofícios (1880), with architecture inspired by French classicism.

Teatro Santa Isabel em Recife PE
Theatre of Santa Isabel in Recife PE
Palácio da Justiça em Recife PE
Palace of Justice in Recife PE

Its garden was originally laid out in 1875 by the French naturalist Emile Bérenger and redesigned in 1936 by Roberto Burle Marx. There is also a huge and beautiful Baobab tree(Adansonia digitata) in the square, an African species of which it is not known how or when it was planted.

15. SANTA ISABEL THEATRE

Built in 1850 to a design by French engineer Louis Léger Vauthier, this imposing theatre has a classic pink façade and three large arches at the entrance.

Teatro Santa Isabel em Recife
Santa Isabel Theatre

Now a National Historic Monument, it was destroyed by fire in 1869, but the façade was restored and the interior received the ornate iron columns and balustrades that made the Santa Isabel one of the most beautiful theatres of the Imperial period.

In front of the building, a bronze statue signed by the Pernambuco sculptor Abelardo da Hora represents the architect Vauthier in life-size. Praça da República, s/n, Santo Antônio.

16. AURORA STREET

The street’s name is no coincidence: a former swamp on the left bank of the Capibaribe River, facing east, it receives the first rays of the morning sun; on the other bank is the Rua do Sol, illuminated at dusk.

Rua Aurora em Recife
Aurora Street

The 19th century saw the construction of neoclassical buildings whose colourful facades reflect the waters of the river. There is the Secretariat of Public Security, the former residence of the Count of Boa Vista, built in 1842 to a design by the author of the Santa Isabel Theatre.

Another highlight is the Pernambucano Gymnasium (1885), the most traditional educational institution in the state. The 1920s saw the construction of the first buildings in the city, such as the Montreal, the Capibaribe and the Iemanjá.

17. MAMAM

The Aloísio Magalhães Museum of Modern Art (MAMAM) hosts temporary exhibitions of national contemporary art.

Museu de Arte Moderna Aloísio Magalhães (Mamam) em Recife PE
Aloísio Magalhães Museum of Modern Art (Mamam) in Recife PE

Located in one of the charming townhouses of Rua da Aurora, its collection comprises 900 works, including paintings by Alex Flemming, João Câmara and Francisco Brennand.

At the entrance to the museum, you can admire the tile panel signed by the Recife artist Aloísio de Magalhães (1927-82), after whom the museum is named. Rua da Aurora, 265, Boa Vista.

18. SÃO LUIZ CINEMA

On the Rua da Aurora, Recife’s oldest cinema, opened in 1952, has 1,200 seats between the auditorium and the balcony, and its wide iron and glass doors still open to the street, letting in the breeze from the Capibaribe River.

Cinema São Luiz em Recife PE
São Luiz Cinema in Recife PE

In the entrance hall of the cinema, a mural by the Recife painter Lula Cardoso Ayres (1910-87) welcomes visitors who, in the 1960s, were only allowed to go in suits and ties or long dresses.

Next to the screen, stained glass windows with floral motifs light up the room at the end of the sessions. Rua da Aurora, 175, Boa Vista.

19. HOUSE OF CULTURE

The Casa da Cultura is the great centre of folk art in Pernambuco.

The century-old French-style building used to be a prison.

Casa da Cultura em Recife PE
Casa da Cultura in Recife PE

Today it houses almost 100 shops selling handicrafts and typical food. Its corridors and courtyard also host folkloric performances, shows and events that give visitors a broader view of the rich and unique culture of the people of Pernambuco.

The Craft Centre is housed in the former Recife Prison, built in 1867 and decommissioned in 1973.

Divided into four wings, the building has 156 cells, now converted into shops selling a little bit of everything: ceramics from Alto do Moura in Caruaru, embroidery from Passira, pieces from the city of Tracunhaém and out-of-print books. Rua Cais da Detenção, s/n, São José.

20. RECIFE’S MARKETS

Recife’s popular markets capture the flavours, smells and colours of Pernambuco. The main one is the São José Market, whose design by French engineer Victor Lieutier was inspired by a market in Paris. Its prefabricated iron structure came from France to be assembled in Pernambuco’s capital.

In its 46 pavilions, stalls sell fish, seafood and spices, as well as candles, colourful beads and images of the orishas of xangô, as candomblé is known in Recife. There are also handicrafts from the Zona da Mata, Agreste and Sertão regions of Pernambuco, such as popular toys, straw baskets, hammocks and embroidered towels (Praça D. Vital, s/n, São José).

While the traditional São José market welcomes people from all over, the Casa Amarela (Estr. do Arraial, 4000, Casa Amarela) and Madalena (R. Real da Torre, s/n, Madalena) markets are interesting neighbourhood shopping centres.

The Casa Amarela market, with its iron architecture, was the second to be built in Recife using this material. It was dismantled and moved from the Caxangá neighbourhood to its current location in 1930.

The Madalena Market (1925), formerly known as the Bacurau Market because its bars opened at dawn (the Bacurau is a nocturnal bird), is still the place where the city’s bohemian crowd ends the night, often extending their walk into the morning – when the bars serve hot manioc with stewed chicken or grilled cheese.

21. OUR LADY OF THE CONCEPTION OF THE MILITARY CHURCH

The simple façade, with a single bell tower, is almost unnoticeable amidst the lights of one of Recife’s busiest shopping streets.

IGREJA NOSSA SENHORA DA CONCEIÇÃO DOS MILITARES em Recife PE
OUR LADY OF THE CONCEPTION OF THE MILITARY CHURCH

The richness of the church is hidden inside: the high altar with the image of Our Lady of the Conception, the altarpiece and the central arch are decorated with exuberant white and gold rococo carvings.

On the ceiling, among the volutes and flowers, there are paintings of the Virgin Mary, one of which shows her pregnant and surrounded by angels.

On the ceiling of the choir, a large panel depicts the first battle of Guararapes. The Church of Nossa Senhora da Conceição dos Militares, declared a National Historic Monument, was built in the 18th century by the Brotherhood of Sergeants and Soldiers of the Infantry Rosary of the Recife Garrison. Rua Nova, 309, Santo Antônio.

22. BASILICA AND CONVENT OF OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL

The 18th century architectural complex of the Basilica and Convent of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and the Church of St Teresa of the Third Order of Mount Carmel was built on the site of the Boa Vista Palace, the residence of Maurício de Nassau.

BASÍLICA E CONVENTO DE NOSSA SENHORA DO CARMO
BASILICA AND CONVENT OF OUR LADY OF CARMO

The highlight of the Basilica is the ceiling of the choir, completed in 1767 and painted in shades of blue and gold, and the altar, where the same colours have been applied to the rococo carvings.

The high ceilings give way to balconies with elaborate balustrades that surround the entire nave; the balconies themselves are decorated with paintings in richly carved frames.

The gilded coffered ceiling of the Church of Santa Teresa da Ordem Terceira do Carmo, consecrated in 1710 (although its rococo pediment dates from 1803), contains forty panels depicting the life of Santa Teresa. Av. Dantas Barreto, s/n, Santo Antônio.

23. MOTHER CHURCH OF SAINT ANTONIO (SANTÍSSIMO SACRAMENTO)

Built between 1753 and 1790, the parish Church of Saint Anthony keeps its doors open during the day. Passers-by in the bustling Praça da Independência enter to rest or simply to pray to St Anthony, one of the country’s most popular saints.

Igreja matriz de Santo Antônio em Recife PE
St Anthony’s Parish Church, Recife, PE

The church combines Baroque elements with others introduced in later renovations, such as the ceiling paintings by Sebastião da Silva Tavares in the 19th century. Praça da Independência, s/n, Santo Antônio.

24. GOLDEN CHAPEL

The Golden Chapel surprises with its richness. The altar, walls and ceiling are carved and covered with gold leaf, the ultimate expression of Recife’s baroque.

CAPELA DOURADA
Golden Chapel of Recife, PE

Built between 1696 and 1724 by the Third Order of St. Francis of Assisi, it is part of the architectural complex of the Franciscan Monastery, a National Historical Site that also includes the Church of St. Anthony and the former hospital of the Third Franciscan Order.

Next to the church is the Franciscan Museum of Sacred Art, with pieces from the 18th century. Rua do Imperador D. Pedro II, s/n, Santo Antônio.

25. ST. PETER’S YARD

The Pátio São Pedro is one of the few remaining examples of a colonial Brazilian layout, with houses lined up to form a kind of square, with colourful facades and pavements of irregular stones.

Pátio São Pedro em Recife PE
Pátio São Pedro in Recife PE

Declared a National Historic Monument by IPHAN, the architectural complex belonged to the Brotherhood of the Clerics, which financed the construction of the imposing Concatedral de São Pedro dos Clérigos in 1728, which stands out in the square for its magnificent carved stone façade.

Today, bars and restaurants occupy the old one- and two-storey houses. The Buraquinho serves typical dishes from the Northeast (no. 28) and the Casa do Carnaval has become a place dedicated to the study of regional folklore (no. 52).

On Tuesday evenings, the Pátio de São Pedro becomes the stage for Black Tuesday, an event with musical performances related to Afro-Brazilian culture.

26. CHURCH OF THE ROSARY OF THE BLACKS

Built between 1739 and 1777 for the slaves, it has a predominantly rococo style.

The façade is decorated with carved stonework of exceptional quality; inside, the beautiful image of the patron saint, probably from the 18th century, stands out.

Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Rosário dos Homens Pretos em Recife PE
Church of Our Lady of the Rosary of the Black Men in Recife, PE

From this church, now listed by IPHAN, came the procession of the King of the Congo, a ritual brought from Africa by the slaves who came to work in the sugar plantations of Pernambuco and which marks the origin of Recife’s maracatus. Rua Estreita do Rosário, s/n, Santo Antônio.

27. NIGHT OF THE SILENT DRUMS

The Church of Nossa Senhora do Terço, in the Pátio do Terço, was built in the mid-18th century and has been rebuilt several times.

igreja de Nossa Senhora do Terço em Recife PE
Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, Recife, PE

The present Rococo façade, with a single tower, dates from 1847. Since 1968, on the night of Carnival Monday, the square in front of the church is filled with people who pay homage to the blacks who died during slavery with a maracatus parade.

At midnight, in one of the most magical moments of Recife’s carnival, the drums stop and the lights go out. Everyone is silent for a minute, in memory of the colonial ban on the expression of beliefs and cultures of African origin.

The maracatu-nation, as the urban maracatu is called (as opposed to the rural maracatu, which comes from the Zona da Mata), was born around 1650 and represents the coronation of African kings.

The format of the procession, however, is European, in an example of cultural syncretism. The African slaves came from regions such as Costa da Mina, Angola, but above all from the Congo, which is why the maracatu is known as the coronation procession of the king of the Congo.

28. THE OUTSKIRTS OF RECIFE

The neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Recife, further away from the centre and the coast of Recife, are traditionally referred to as the suburbs, although they are integrated into the capital.

The suburbs of Recife originate from villages that sprang up along the Capibaribe River, former mill areas that still retain a bucolic air, with tree-lined streets and quaint houses, as can be seen in Poço na Panela and Apipucos.

On entering the neighbourhood, visitors will find some of Recife’s most important museums, such as the Man of the Northeast Museum and the Francisco Brennand Workshop, located in the beautiful setting of the old São João sugar mill in the Várzea neighbourhood.

29. SPACE PASÁRGADA

The house where the writer Manuel Bandeira (1886-1968), born in Recife, spent his childhood. The name is a reference to his most famous poem(Vou-me embora pra Pasárgada / There I am a friend of the king / There I have the woman I want / In the bed I choose).

There is also an exhibition of the poet’s personal belongings and a bookshop. Rua da União, 263, Boa Vista.

30. STATE MUSEUM

It is housed in a 19th century mansion that belonged to the family of the Baron of Beberibe and is currently being restored.

Museu do Estado em Recife PE
State Museum of Recife, PE

A significant part of the collection has been transferred to the Cícero Dias Space annex, inaugurated in 2003, which exhibits furniture from the 17th and 18th centuries, Chinese and English porcelain, paintings by Telles Júnior and other Pernambuco artists, and objects used in Candomblé rituals. Rua Rui Barbosa, 960, Graças.

31. POÇO DA PANELA

An important 19th century house, built on the site of the former Casa Forte sugar mill, on the banks of the Capibaribe river.

Poço da Panela em Recife PE
Poço da Panela in Recife PE

The simple façade of the church of Nossa Senhora da Saúde (Rua Real do Poço, s/n), built in 1772, stands out among imperial palms.

Opposite the church square is the Mercearia do Vital, with a wooden bar and pavement tables where you can enjoy a cold beer and a freshly sliced cheese sandwich, perfect for the tranquillity of the place.

32. JAQUEIRA PARK

An old farm on the banks of the Capibaribe has been transformed into one of the city’s most charming public spaces.

Surrounded by jackfruit, olive and jamboree trees, the park has a one-kilometre jogging track, a cycle track, a skating track, a bicycle cross-country track and children’s toys.

In the second half of the 18th century, a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the Conception was built here, known as the Jaqueira Chapel.

Listed as a National Historic Site, it was given a garden designed by Roberto Burle Marx in 1970. Inside, the tiled panels tell the story of São José do Egito, and the altarpiece and pulpit have gilded carvings in the rococo style. Av. Rui Barbosa, s/n, Jaqueira.

33. ART GALLERIES

Two galleries in Recife offer visitors a good overview of contemporary Pernambuco art. One is the Amparo 60 Gallery, which represents some of the best known artists from Recife and Olinda, such as Christina Machado, Rinaldo, José Patrício and Domingos Paulo Meira (Av. Domingos Ferreira, 92, Pina).

At the Galeria Mariana Moura you’ll find works by other names such as Marcelo Silveira, Gil Vicente, Alexandre Nóbrega and Janine Toledo. Av. Rui Barbosa, 735, Graças.

34. FRANCISCO BRENNAND WORKSHOP

A former colonial mill, later transformed into the Brennand family’s ceramics factory, the workshop has been the workplace of the Recife artist since 1971 and has a magical atmosphere.

OFICINA FRANCISCO BRENNAND
FRANCISCO BRENNAND WORKSHOP

The setting is made up of sculptures, some of them monumental, arranged along boulevards, gardens and lakes where black swans glide. A square designed by Burle Marx separates the workshop from the Academy, a space dedicated to the permanent exhibition of Brennand’s paintings and drawings.

A visit can take a whole afternoon as there is so much to see, read, listen to and contemplate. A pleasant café with a shop where you can have a quick bite to eat completes the visit. Property of Cosme e Damião, s/n, access via Av. Caxangá, Várzea.

SCIENCE AND ART IN DUTCH BRAZIL

When Maurício de Nassau landed in Recife in 1637, he was accompanied by an entourage of 46 scholars, including the physician and naturalist Willem Piso and the astronomer and naturalist Georg Marcgrave, who would later become the authors of the first compendia of the fauna and flora of the New World.

Nassau was also accompanied by the painters Frans Post (1612-80) and Albert Eckhout (1610-65), who painstakingly recorded the landscapes, fauna and inhabitants – especially the Indians and blacks – of Pernambuco.

The work of Nassau’s entourage resulted in a historical and scientific legacy unparalleled for the time. Albert Eckhout left a series of eight large paintings of Brazilian ethnic types, as well as a collection of smaller oil paintings on wood, watercolours and drawings of plants.

Franz Post, the first landscape painter in the United States, painted at least eighteen oil paintings of the Pernambuco landscape.

One of them, showing Fort Frederick Hendrik, now the Fort of Five Points, is in the Ricardo Brennand Institute.

35. RICARDO BRENNAND INSTITUTE

Founded by the collector Ricardo Brennand, Francisco’s cousin, the impressive Institute, inaugurated in 2002, is made up of three elements – the Castle, the Picture Gallery and the Library – housed in two Gothic-style buildings.

INSTITUTO RICARDO BRENNAND
RICARDO BRENNAND INSTITUTE

This exceptional collection houses a valuable collection of paintings, maps, manuscripts, books and coins produced during the 24 years of Dutch occupation of Recife and the Northeast.

Of particular note are the seventeen canvases signed by Frans Post, especially the one depicting Fort Frederick Hendrik, now Forte das Cinco Pontas, dating from 1630. Another highlight is the collection of weapons and armour, especially from the Middle Ages.

The institute’s cafeteria serves Rosa Didier‘s famous buns and tapioca and is opposite a beautiful sculpture garden. Al. Antonio Brennand, s/n, Várzea.

36. MUSEUM OF THE NORTH-EASTERN MAN

Inaugurated in 1979, this space offers an excellent opportunity to understand the history of the formation of the Northeastern culture.

Museu do Homem do Nordeste em Recife PE
Museum of the Northeastern Man in Recife, PE

Belonging to the Joaquim Nabuco Foundation, the Museum of the Northeastern Man is divided into three sections:“Sugar“, which covers historical and technological aspects of thesugarcane culture;“Oh de casa!, with constructive, decorative and utilitarian elements, such as roof tiles, bricks, masonry, tiles and objects related to life in the northeast; and“Anthropology, with objects related to folkloric, religious and artistic manifestations. Av. 17 de Agosto, 2187, Casa Forte.

37. GILBERTO FREYRE FOUNDATION

The anthropologist Gilberto Freyre published 89 books in which he tried to explain, in a polemical and always brilliant way, the society of Brazil and the Northeast.

Fundação Gilberto Freyre em Recife PE
Gilberto Freyre Foundation in Recife, PE

The author of the classic Casa-grande e senzala, first published in 1933 and now in its 50th edition, lived and wrote in this house, which he called Vivenda Santo Antônio de Apipucos.

Highlights include the library, which occupies several rooms, and the interesting Portuguese tile panels. Rua Dois Irmãos, 320, Apipucos.

Tourist guide of Recife in Pernambuco

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