The city of Igarassu is located in the state of Pernambuco, 27 km away from Recife, the state capital, as well as close to João Pessoa, the capital of Paraíba, just 90 km away.
Located on the north coast of the state, Igarassu is part of the metropolitan region of Recife and is easily accessible, either by public transport or by car.
Main Tourist Points of Igarassu PE
There are churches and historic buildings that tell a lot about our Brazil.
1. Historic Center of Igarassu
You can visit the oldest church in Brazil, a museum full of impressive pieces that reveal details of history and a beautiful art gallery.
To get to know it, take a leisurely walk, as you will be delighted by the streets full of colorful colonial houses that make anyone travel back in time.
Finally, be sure to visit the Chapel of Nossa Senhora do Livramento, the Arts Center and the Chapel of São Sebastião.
2. Church of Saints Cosmas and Damian
This is an attraction that you cannot miss in Igarassu, as the Church of Santos Cosme and Damião is the oldest functioning church in Brazil. It was built shortly after the Portuguese invasion and the defeat of the Indians who lived in the region in 1535.
It was rebuilt years later, as it was initially made as a small chapel with a single door. Over the years, there was a major renovation and therefore some characteristics were modified, but it never ceased to be in honor of the saints.
3. Convent of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
This was the first Convent of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Brazil and for that reason it was of great importance at the time when it received novices in 1742. Years later the chapel was built, composing the space we see today, with its baroque style full of windows and unique decoration.
4. Franciscan Convent and Museum Pinacoteca de Igarassu
This sacred space is the Franciscan Convent and Church of Santo Antônio, which also houses the Pinacoteca de Igarassu Museum.
From the entrance door, you will be able to see beautiful and impressive details that are part of this sacred and historic space. Even more so because this convent was the third of the Franciscan order in Brazil, as well as the first to be consecrated to Saint Anthony, being yet another landmark of Igarassu.
The Pinacoteca Museum is one of the most important in Latin America. In it, you will see an exhibition with 24 panels that were made in the 17th and 18th century, but it is not known for sure who made them. Either way, it's worth a visit, as the works are beautiful.
5. Emperor's House
Built between the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries, the property is one of the most remarkable properties in the historic center of the city. The townhouse was built with resources from the meat tax in the then village of Igarassu.
The first uses were diversified, but converged to house institutions of official power, such as a retirement home, jail and Chamber.
In 1972, the Architectural and Landscape Complex of Igarassu was inscribed in the Archaeological, Ethnographic and Landscape Book of the Institute.
In the XNUMXth century, the building underwent intense transformations.
A neoclassical ornamentation was added to the building, a stylistic aspect that arrived in Brazil under the influence of the French Mission in 1816 and remains dominant throughout that century.
Even with the changes, the essence of seventeenth-century architecture was maintained. Such traits are shown in the spaces permeated by games of solids and voids and by the conformation of the elements in stonework, which consists of blocks of rough rock carved in order to constitute geometric solids.
Name Emperor's House refers to the visit of Dom Pedro II, who was in the building on December 1859, XNUMX, when he was traveling through the Northeast region.
The event helped consolidate stories that the building was built in the XNUMXth century, which is not historically accurate. That year the property was only prepared to welcome the monarch.
6. City Council of Igarassu
This is one of the first sights in Igarassu for those arriving by car and going to the historic city. The building has a colonial style and is in excellent condition, but the visit is only on the outside, because the Chamber of Councilors of Igarassu currently operates.
This is one of the first sights in Igarassu for those arriving by car and going to the historic city. The building has a colonial style and is in excellent condition, but the visit is only on the outside, because the Chamber of Councilors of Igarassu currently operates.
The place was the former House of the Chamber and Public Prison of Igarassu, being one of the most important buildings. It was the second largest prison in the state, second only to the Casa de Detenção do Recife, currently the Casa da Cultura in downtown Recife.
In front is the replica of the stone marker that separated the captaincies of Pernambuco and Itamaracá. For those who are curious to know the landmark, there is a replica in the original location of the boundary at Sítio dos Marcos. When visiting Recife, head to the city's museum to see the original stone landmark.
7. Historical Museum of Igarassu
The Igarassu museum holds riches that show the history of Brazil in general. The museum space is located in colonial houses that were renovated and connected to provide more space for the exhibitions, located in the historic center of Igarassu, right next to the Church of Santos Cosme and Damião and opposite the City Hall.
There are many objects from the 17th, 18th and 19th century that talk about the life of enslaved people and churches, for example. There are also several documents and paintings by the Dutch painter Frans Post, as well as paintings by local artists and one of the doors of the Igreja da Misericórdia that weighs half a ton.
History of Igarassu PE
The place where Igarassu was created was inhabited by Caeté Indians.
The construction of its first church is attributed to the victory of the Portuguese, in 1530, over the Potiguara Indians and the French who were there.
However, in 1535, the donatory of the Captaincy of Pernambuco, Duarte Coelho, landed in the place to take possession of his lands donated by the Portuguese Crown and fought intense combat with the Indians.
By order of the grantee, a stone milestone was installed at the site that served as a dividing point between the captaincies of Pernambuco and Itamaracá, starting the process of colonization of Brazil.
Igarassu, whose name means “big canoe”, was founded in 1536 by Duarte Coelho and probably gained the category of parish in 1550.
Second village, after the village of São Vicente, to be created in the colony, being the first region occupied in Pernambuco.
An autonomous municipality was constituted in 1893 and, soon after, in 1895, it was elevated to the category of city.
The southern bar of the Santa Cruz Canal, formerly known as the Igarassu River – later Porto de Pernambuco and Sítio dos Marcos – is one of the most important centers of Portuguese occupation on the northeastern coast.
The city's past is marked by its participation in freedom struggles, such as the Praieira Revolution, when the troops of Colonel Manoel Pereira de Morais settled in the Convent of Santo Antônio (built in 1588 by Franciscan priests).
Currently, the Pinacoteca de Igarassu Museum operates on the site, which houses one of the most representative collections on the Brazilian colonial phase. An autonomous municipality was constituted in 1893 and was elevated to the status of a city with the same name in 1895.
