Cemitério Santo Amaro

Recife (Pernambuco – PE)

History Localization Personalities Peculiarities Gallery Search source Contact and credits

The history of the northeastern region of Brazil began in 1534, when Portugal created the “Capitanias Hereditárias” (first administrative divisions in Brazil). The “Capitania” of Pernambuco fell to Duarte Coelho Pereira. Until the 17th century, the city of Recife was only a small village, working as a port for the town of Olinda, then capital of Pernambuco. This situation has changed since 1630, when the Dutch, attracted by the richness of sugarcane, occupied the region. In 1637, the Count Mauricio de Nassau brought from Europe great architects, engineers and landscape artists who led a real urban revolution in the city: streets were planned and drawn, several bridges were built, thus giving an air of metropolis to the city of Recife. For centuries people were buried in the chapels. In 1837 , the president of the province of Pernambuco, Francisco do Rego Barros, according to a plan of modernization and hygiene proposed the construction of the first public cemetery in the city which was approved only in 1850 and inaugurated the following year – 1851.
The first public cemetery was the “Cemetery of the Lord Good Jesus of Redemption of Santo Amaro of Recife” (Cemitério do Senhor Bom Jesus da Redenção de Santo Amaro do Recife) that is located in the pathway between Recife and Olinda, next to the existing Cemetery of the British (Cemitério dos Ingleses). The studies and projects of the current Cemetery of Santo Amaro resulted from consecutive works developed by a committee, having a french engineer Louis Lèguer Vauthier (1845-1916) as its author and idealizer. This project is considered by Gilberto Freire as one of the earliest and most well elaborated in Brazil. It was designed so that the landscape is equally distributed among the tombs and shallow graves.

Timeline:

1630 – Dutch occupation.
1637 – Mauricio de Nassau takes over the government post for the Dutch possessions in Brazil and is responsible for planning a urbanistic revolution in Recife.
1654 – Dutch are banished from Brazil.
1710 – War of “Mascates” (derisive nickname given to the Portuguese in Olinda-Pernambuco).
1814 – It is chosen the place for the construction of the Cemetery of the British (private) – Santo Amaro district.
1817 – Pernambuco tries to proclaim its independence from Portugal without success.
1824 – Confederation of Ecuador.
1837 – The President of the Province of Pernambuco, Francisco do Rego Barros, according to a plan of modernization and hygiene for Recife, proposes the construction of the first public cemetery in the city.
1848 – The “Praieira” Revolution (name of liberal party in Pernambuco) breaks up – they were against the Monarchy and were already supporting the Republic.
1849 – Yellow Fever epidemic.
1850 – Start of construction of the “Cemetery of the Lord Good Jesus of Redemption of Santo Amaro of Recife ” – first public Cemetery of the city (Recife).
1851 – Inauguration of the cemetery, now known as “Cemetery of Santo Amaro of Recife”.
1856 – Morbus colera epidemic.

The current urban plan of the Cemetery of Santo Amaro was designed by a French engineer, architect and urbanist Louis Léguer Vauthier who had been in Brazil from 1840 to 1846 and became engineer of the Bureau of public works in the city of Recife. He was responsible for several works, among them: Santa Isabel Theater , São José Market, Recife City Hall; Joaquim Nabuco Foundation. The plan of the cemetery is composed of boulevards that converge on a square, where is located a large chapel. It is situated at Avenida Marques Pombal, 1851. In this way, they form triangular and polygonal squares whose borders are occupied by lots designated to noble tombs and collective brotherhoods mausoleums, keeping the central areas for the shallow graves. Its geometrical landscape is composed of native trees and imperial palms, planted in such a way that one can detect the contrast between the extensive masses of green, the monumental tombs and whitewashed graves. (Valladares, 1972, p.1103).

Here are buried barons, politicians, “new rich”, slaves and less wealthy people of the state of Pernambuco. Among those mentioned: Joaquim Nabuco, Baron D `Ouricury, Baron of Itamaracá, Baron of Mecejana, Commander Manoel Bernardo da Silva, Moreira Alves family, Manoel Borba, Gaspar de Menezes Vasconcellos de Drummond, Agamenon Magalhães, Othon Bezerra de Mello.

It is one of the few Brazilian cemeteries installed in the 19th century that followed a well-developed urban plan, designed according to the European standard. A unique landscaping was adopted by planting native trees (mango and jambo trees) between the boulevards. Among the many beautiful sculptures dating from the 19th and 20th centuries, note The Virtue – a bronze sculpture, courageous woman, whose one of the attributes is the Cactus – typical plant in the northeast. It is in the Magalhães Family tomb. We also emphasize the building of several collective mausoleums in order to attend the necessities of religious and civil brotherhoods. There is also an open-air Museum filled up with funerary art ranging from Gothic and Neoclassical models imported from Europe, including Art Nouveau, Art Deco and modern styles, to simple tombs decorated with plastic flowers. This precious and rich architecture urgently needs to be restored and preserved for the benefit of the memory of the people from Recife.

TOMB-CHAPEL FLAMING PSEUDO-GOTHIC, the 19th century. In this tomb there are the mortal remains of Baron D `Ouricury – Manoel Ignacio D` Oliveira and his family. On the ogival portal there is the family coat-of-arms. The chapel is protected by a cast iron gradil, inserted by small pillars with torches – symbol of life that has gone away.

FAMILY PRESENCE, the 19th century (1865). The realistic busts (there were four) that border the coffin register portraits of family members of the dead – Moreira Alves Family. They have the function of allegory and portrait. There is a distinct way of representing the pain, while the young man has an angulate strong and sad face, the young lady is in tears, covering the half-hidden face with a veil. Portuguese Marble, limestone, neoclassical architecture. Lisbon stoneworking installed in the “Alto do São João Cemetery”” and moved to Brasil in 1870 (process 631, BAPTIST 2008). Limestone, neoclassical architecture.

THE RESURRECTION, the 20th century. A beautiful classical goddess with the lion – symbol of courage, majesty and resurrection – guard the tomb of Manoel Borba, covered with black granite. Note the bas-relief portrait.

MONUMENTAL TOMB-CHAPEL, the 20th century. The sculptural group – Allegory of Gratitude – with symbolic features, presents contorted figures of men, women and children due to the efforts to raise the coffin of the hero Joaquim Nabuco to the heavens. The state of Pernambuco commissioned the piece to the Italian sculptor Giovanni Nicoline (1911) and was assembled by Renato Boretta (1914).

WORK, the 20th century. Historically, the state of Pernambuco had its economy based on the sugarcane cultivation.. Within the modern realism, the low-relief describes the saga of the family in rural life of Pernanbuco: one can observe the physical tiredness, the loading, the milling of sugarcane, the plant and the woman taking care of children.

TOMB ADORNED WITH A COAT-OF -ARMS, the 19th century. Simple tomb, exhibts the representation of a funerary urn on the top. The emphasis is on the epigraph which consecrates the whole lineage of the Gaspar de Menezes Vascocellos de Drummond family and on the refine workmanship ornaments. Note: sickle, skull, the time clock, coat-of-arms, festoons and stylized leaves.

FUNERARY NICHES, the 20th century. They are arranged in rows in both horizontal and vertical direction. They were devised to solve the problem of space and as an alternative to supply the needs of the less wealthy people. Inside each drawer there is a particular way of composing the devotional objects, such as: portraits, epitaphs, saints, vases and flowers.

SAINT DOROTÉIA, the19th century. Observe the eschatologic symbols contained in the small rectangle on the front of the tomb. Sta Dorotéia, classical woman, is semi-kneeling on a pew and praying holding a pyre and a book. She is escorted by the guardian of man – the dog.

COMMANDER, the 19th century. Germano Salles, a statuary sculptor from Lisbon, was responsible for the project of this monumental tomb composed of overlapping bases and well ornamented. At the top, there is an allegory in natural size which refers to the ideal classic beauty. It was commissioned by the family of Commander Manoel Bernardo da Silva.

FUNERARY URN, the 19th century. Conventional picture of a sarcophagus miniature It has Greek and Roman influences. The cover shows special features: it is richly decorated with leaves and flowers, we would say it is like a real jewel-box that keeps relics. Note the stylized feet which represent the paws of a lion. Tomb of the Commander Jose Ramos D `Oliveira family.

MENEJANA BARONS, 19th Century (1878). The major highlight of this noble and monumental tomb are the kneeling statues of the Baron and Baroness of Mecejana, realistic in size, carved in Italy, Carrara marble.They are praying for their children Irineu and Maria Cristina. The overlaying tetrahedral blocks are taken from the architectural Egyptian party – “mastaba”.

NEO-ROMAN TOMB-CHAPEL-, the 20th century. Othon Bezerra de Mello family has chosen a modern building to be a replica of a Roman stylistic production composed of columns, triangular fronton and busts of the deceased relatives. Note the low-relief on the side of the chapel which is also a niche in white marble.

MASONIC MONUMENT, the 20th century. In many Brazilian cemeteries the Masonic Order dedicates a communal monument to its members. In most cases they follow Egyptian and Roman architectural elements. Compass and square: Masonic symbol.

REGIONAL IDENTITY, the 20th century. The tomb-chapel was built according to the parameters of modern architecture: rectangular monumental building, with simple forms. The bronze allegorical sculptures (the law, the virtue, the history, the justice) and the whole body sculpture of Agamenon Magalhães enhance the looks of this tomb.

THE MARINE OF BRAZIL MONUMENT, the 20th century. The chapel-tomb values for the modernist monumentality with large pillars erected on the sides of the chapel taken from neoclassical art.

ECLECTIC TOMB, the 19th century. The high plot is surmounted by a long and high monument which is similar to a square pyramid´s base. The ornaments-pyres, crosses and volutes give a delicate tone to the tomb.

BORGES, Maria Elizia. The Funerary Statuary in Brazil: Iconographic representation of the death of the burghers. São Luís. VII Abanne: G’t Antropology of the Emotion, GREM Editions, 8, 2004, CD-Room.
VALLADARES, Clarival do Prado. Art and Society in the Brazilian Cemeteries. National Press Department, Rio – Brasília, 1972.
MENEZES NETO, Jose Maria freire; OLIVEIRA, Débora Virginia Ferraz de; PEREIRA NETO, Marcelino Henrique; SILVA, Kenya Viegas da;VASCONCELOS, Talitha Lucena de. The historical evolution and the Social-Economic Elements of the (re) production of the Santo Amaro Cemetery and its Neighbourhood. Recife-PE. São Paulo. I Encontro da Associação Brasileira de Estudos Cemiteriais, 2004, CD-Room.

Sites:

//www.recifeguide.com/brasil/informacoes/historia.html (Acessed on December 12th, 2005).
//www.sincep/com.br/historias/25/asp (Acessed on January 17th, 2006).

Credits:

Coordination Researching: Maria Elizia Borges.
Website design: Catu Design, 2008.
CNPq/PIBIC Researcher: Adriana M. Gianvechio Carvalho.
Pictures: Maria Elizia Borges, 1995.
Translation: Iara Maria Sanches.
Added in 2005.

Contact:

maelizia@terra.com.br
Cemitério Santo Amaro, Rua do Pombal
Phone: +55 (081) 22206104