Cemitério do Alecrim

Natal (Rio Grande do Norte – RN)

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Natal was founded on December 25^th, 1599. There is a lot of controversy about its founder, since the Dutch, after being banished from the region by the Portuguese, destroyed some official documents or took them to the Netherlands.
The speculations of historians are based on three names: Jerônimo de Albuquerque, Manuel Mascarenhas Homem and João Rodrigues Colaço. There are two hypotheses that are greatly accepted. One says that Jerônimo de Albuquerque, who had a great involvement in the process of pacification of Rio Grande do Norte, was the first governor of Rio Grande do Norte and founded Natal.
The other hypothesis is that the city was founded by Manuel Mascarenhas Homem, chief captain of Pernambuco, who arrived there in 1597, with the purpose of building a fort and a city because of its strategic location – the closest coast to Europe by the route to Africa. It was a region then dominated by French pirates and indigenous people. Its construction took place on the right border of the Potengi River, near the mouth in the Atlantic Ocean. Natal got an atmosphere of modernity from the 19th century on, when the architect Giácomo Palumbo set up an architectural project that distinguished the city from the other northeastern capitals, with streets and wide avenues, leading to the districts of Tirol and Petropolis.
The Rosemary Cemetery (Cemitério do Alecrim) was built in 1856 with the proposal of being away from the city as there were terrifying rumors that the Cemetery of Rocas, the first cemetery in the city of Natal, was haunted. A track was made to the west side of Natal following the railway which enabled them to find the perfect place to build the cemetery and then the Church of St. Peter. Currently, the cemetery has 3900 graves, many of which are occupied by personalities of the state who marked their trajectory through the splendor of the last home.

Timeline:

1535 – A Portuguese armada departs from Recife towards the region of the current city of Natal to expel the French invaders who took over the land;
1598 – Manuel de Mascarenhas Homem and his group began to build the Fort of The Magi (The three Kings or The three Wise Men) “Forte dos Reis Magos;
1599 – On December 25th, the small village which was baptized with the name of “Natal”- Christmas – was founded in reference to the date of its foundation;
1614 – Reconstruction of the Fort of The Magi ”Forte dos Reis Magos”, under the command of the famous military architect Francisco Farias. The fort was rebuilt with stones as its original construction (sand and stucco) could not resist the fury of the sea;
1633 – Dutch invasion of Natal;
1654 – The Dutch are banished from Natal;
1701 – The “Capitania” (first administrative divisions in Brazil) of Rio Grande do Norte is now under the control of the “Capitania” of Pernambuco.
1824 – The town received the status of province;
1856 – Construction of the Rosemary Cemetery;
1889 – Due to the Proclamation of the Republic, it became a state.
1922 – The modernization of Natal starts, during the government of Pedro Velho;
1930 – Natal starts an accelerated process of urbanization.
1940s – The Parnamirim airport was used to shelter a military base because of its strategic position to assist the allies who were serving in northern Africa. In those headquarters, thousands of American soldiers spent war years in Natal.
1948 – Foundation of San Francisco Mortuary “Funerária São Francisco”, by Aurino Vila.
1993 – Inauguration of The Cemetery Home of Peace -“Morada da Paz”- in the south side of Natal.
2005 – Known as the City of the Sun, Natal is a place that enchants the tourists for its welcoming and warming people and also for its paradisiacal landscapes – beautiful beaches, dunes, reefs and cliffs.

The cemetery is located on Alberto Gomes Street. The Rosemary district has become a reference in Natal after the construction of the Cemetery of the same name. Câmara Cascudo believes that there are two versions about the origin of the name. The first refers to the humble people who had the habit of decorating the front of their homes with the rosemary plant. The second refers to a local resident who used to ornate the coffins of “little angels” (dead children) with branches of the plant. Nowadays it is considered a very popular neighborhood with a great commercial and residential importance. The Municipal Cemetery of Rosemary follows the standard plan model composed of aligned and sequenced blocks.

By visiting the Cemetery of Rosemary, one can know much about the Potiguar history and also observe the local sculptors and artisans artworks. Among the important people buried in the cemetery, there are: Luís Câmara Cascudo, Djalma Maranhão, Pedro Velho and Albuquerque e Maranhao, Manoel Segundo Wanderley, colonel Urbano Joaquim de Loyolla Barata, father João Maria, colonel Joaquim Etelvino Bezerra da Cunha, Izabel Urbana and Albuquerque Fondim.

This secular conventional cemetery has a particularity of aggregating in its interior two other cemeteries: The Jewish Cemetery and The British Cemetery. There is also a good number of collective graves linked to cooperative entities as the Riograndense artistic-workers
League, The Freemasonry of Rio Grande do Norte and the Congregation of The Divine Love daughters. It is also compounded by the numerous vernacular and artistic tombs. All this together contribute to the understanding of the historical significance of this place that keeps a good part of the Potiguares memory.

THE JEWISH CEMETERY, the 19th century. Through history it is known the importance of the Jewish Community in the state of Rio Grande do Norte and their habits related to the system of burial. At the Rosemary Cemetery there is a wing solely dedicated to the “marrana” community, whose ancestors were new Christians. Pay particular attention to the tombs: bell-mouthed; pyramidal completion; the Star of David engraved on the headstone.

PYRAMID, the 20th century. The ownership of the pyramid comes from the influence of funeral monuments in current Egyptian tombs. This form of architecture, progressive and at the same time reflecting a certain aura of mystery is widely used by the Freemasonry, in the case, the Freemasonry of Rio Grande do Norte.. The masonic symbols adorn the four sides of the monument.

MERCURY, the 20th century. The family of João Severino da Câmara pays him a posthumous tribute choosing Mercury – messenger of Olympus, god of travelers and merchants – to adorn his tomb. He is portrayed with a winged hat and flanked by Ionic columns from Greek architecture. Over time this God has also become the guide of deads souls , then his presence in cemeteries.

SPECIAL TRIBUTE, the 20th, main boulevard. The Workers League pays tribute to the father João Maria (+ 1905) by building a classic tomb with simple ornamentation. It groups pilasters, conical arches and stylized leaves. One of the most visited tombs in the Rosemary Cemetery.

BRAZILIAN FLAG, the 20th century. This tomb is one of the most unusual in Brazil. It is a simple construction, surrounded with pillars and chains. The painting of the Brazilian flag overlapped on the tomb gives a very special meaning to “The Brave Luiz Gonzaga de Souza.

THE SARCOPHAGUS, the 20th century, main boulevard. This is a prominent tomb in the Rosemary Cemetery for being covered with marble of Carrara, not widely used material in the region. The high tomb shows a beautiful sarcophagus ornated with garlands of flowers. Probably there was a sculpture at the top of the pyramid.

ANGEL OF THE RESURRECTION, the 20th century, main boulevard. It is an austere building, suitable to the neoclassical taste. The highlights are the amphoras and the big angel – symbols of celestial life – which give sophistication to the tomb. It adopts the standard models imported from Europe.

MONUMENTAL TOMB-CHAPEL, the 20th century. The government of Rio Grande do Norte provides a posthumous tribute to the organizer of the Republican state – Pedro Velho de Albuquerque Maranhão – who died in 1907. This is a Monumental Tomb-Chapel which exhibits modern straight lines and at the same time shows a reference to the classical temples.

CLASSIC TOMB, the 20th century. The Freire family commissioned The Luzitana Marble Yard from Belém do Pará to build this tomb that adopts the “Belle Epoque” beauty standard. Note the delicacy and refinedness style of the handmade flowerpot and the frame that circumvents the face of João Freire.

JOINED TOMBS, the 20th century. The Lima family chose to bury their deads in joined tombs, adopting equal formats and finishing: they are coated with white and black tiles. The tombstones are the elements that identify each grave.

MODERN MONUMENTAL TOMB, the 20th century. A good example of modern architecture. It is made of black granite and presents a subtle arrangement of vertical and horizontal planes, directing to the center of the head. Observe carefully the two white marble images that seem to dialogue and a large space dedicated to the monument.

THE CEMETERY OF THE AMERICANS, the 19th century. For being predominantly a catholic cemetery, it was granted to the American-Protestants to acquire a place reserved for their community. The few remaining tombs are simple ones and the identification can be seen on the epitaphs writings.

MAUSOLEUM OF THE NORTH-RIO-GRANDENSE WORK-ARTISTIC LEAGUE, the 20th century. In 1950 members of this valued league built this collective mausoleum with simplicity according to the masonic premises . Observe the big proportion given to the monument, divided into galleries on the horizontal and vertical direction.

DOUBLE HEAD TOMB, the 20th century. Within the vernacular architecture we highlight this tomb built with basic materials of construction – brick and lime. So peculiar and rare it contains a head on each side of the tomb determined by the cross. There is a wreath of flowers of flandres in one of the heads.

THE SCOUTS, the 20th century. This is a minimalist tomb where it is visible the bricks-cut.. Note the fleur-de-lis – the symbol of Scouting. In this tomb there are the remains of two scouts. Their main principles are the duty to God, to the others and to themselves

BORGES, Maria Elizia. Arte funerária no Brasil (1880-1930). Italian Marble Carver in Ribeirão Preto. Belo Horizonte: C/ Arte, 2012.

Sites:

//www.brasilchannel.com.br/capitais/ (Acessado em agosto de 2007).
//www.achetudoeregiao.com.br (Acessado em agosto de 2007).
//www.natalonline.com/natal/ (Acessado em agosto de 2007).
//www.portaldosol.com.br/natal/historia.php (Acessado em agosto de 2007).

Credits:

Coordination and research: M Elizia Borges.
Creation of the site: Catu Design, 2008.
Site maintenance and researcher: Adriana M. Gianvechio Carvalho – CNPq grant holder.
Photography: M. Elizia Borges, 2005.
Added in 2007.

Contact:

maelizia@terra.com.br