São Luís do Maranhão is the only Brazilian capital founded by the French, then passed through Dutch and Portuguese occupation.
It covers an area of 220 hectares. Around 2,500 buildings are listed as historical heritage sites in the state, and 1,000 by IPHAN.
Part of this site was declared a World Heritage Site in 1997 for its Portuguese colonial architecture adapted to the local climate.
The main architectural feature of the historic centre is its concern for the hot and humid climate.
Among the solutions was the use of tiles to waterproof the rammed earth façades. The floor plans are “L” or “U” shaped, with large roofs and shutters.
The architectural buildings are sobrados, single-storey houses and manor houses.
The sobrados have up to four floors, the ground floor being a commercial shop and the other floors residences. The manor houses, sumptuous sobrados, have many refined details, and the single-storey houses, finally, can be classified in various ways (for example, full dwelling: door with two windows on each side; half dwelling: side door and two windows).
Strolling through the Historic Centre of São Luís, the largest open-air museum in the world, you will discover a little of the island’s centuries-old history, palaces, squares, mansions, townhouses, churches, chapels, convents, fountains, museums, theatres and monuments that house the living memory of the people of Ludovico.
Cine Éden is a sumptuous cinema-theatre whose façade is preserved and retains its original features, including the name of the space in self-relief. In the first half of the 20th century, when São Luís was gaining modern airs, moving from an agrarian-export economy to an urban-industrial one, there was a […]
São Luís do Maranhão was founded by French, invaded by Dutch, colonized by the Portuguese. What was the result of this mixture? São Luís! The capital of Maranhão, in the Northeast, has one of the largest historical heritage sites in Latin America, the result of this amalgamation of different cultures. […]
The Historic Center of São Luís do Maranhão stands out for the uniformity and simple and regular beauty of its buildings, forming one of the largest architectural ensembles of Portuguese essence still preserved in Latin America. The architecture we inherited from the Portuguese is the richest part of São Luís’ […]
Cafua das Mercês in São Luís do Maranhão is a former slave depot, the place tells the history of black people through the exhibition of works of art and objects from the time of slavery, such as instruments of torture. Cafua das Mercês or Museu do Negro (Black Museum) currently […]
The Convent and Church of Nossa Senhora do Carmo are located in Praça João Lisboa, in São Luís and belong to the Capuchin Order. The Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, integrated to the convent, is one of the most important and traditional Catholic temples in the city. The […]
The Benedito Leite Public Library is the second oldest library in the country. Since its creation on 3 May 1831, it has always received notables in literature and science. The collection of the State Government agency, linked to the State Secretariat for Culture and Tourism (SECTUR), holds precious items, such as […]
The Cristo Rei Palace is located in Largo dos Amores and has 19th-century Ludoviscan architecture, having served as a home for nobles, Jesuit schools, headquarters of the Archbishopric and currently houses the headquarters of the Federal University of Maranhão (UFMA). Predominantly neoclassical in style, the palace has a main staircase […]
.The House of Culture Josué Montello or Casa de Cultura Josué Montello integrates the Culture System of the State of Maranhão. It is intended to promote studies, research and work in the areas of literature, arts, social sciences, history, geography, in short, the artistic and cultural manifestations of the State. […]
The Church of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios or Igreja de Nossa Senhora dos Remédios dates from 1719 and is part of the urban ensemble of Gonçalves Dias Square, formerly Largo dos Remédios, where parties were held during the month of October, which made it famous, to the point of being […]
Gonçalves Dias Square was inaugurated in 1873 and is located on land belonging to the Order of São Francisco, on a promontory facing the Anil River that allows a view of the São Francisco Bridge and the neighbourhood of the same name. It is home to the Church of Nossa […]
The Catarina Mina alley or Beco Catarina Mina in São Luís do Maranhão was named after the slave Catarina Rosa Pereira de Jesus, known for her great beauty and who, at the cost of much work and “favours” provided to the rich Portuguese, managed to gather enough money to buy […]
Casa Real Empório in the Historic Centre of São Luís is a pleasant space for meeting friends, a quick snack in the middle of the afternoon or a rest after a walk through the corners of the city centre. Casa Real Empório, located at Rua Engenheiro Couto, 59, one of the […]
The Palácio dos Leões in São Luís do Maranhão has 3,000 square metres of built area, divided into three wings: residential, administrative and visitation. The collection of 1,300 art objects is displayed in five noble halls. There are canvases by renowned artists, crystals, Portuguese silverware, French carpets and porcelain. One […]
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