EstátuadeGeneralOsório

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Among the many historic buildings and monuments in Largo do Paço, there is an 8-meter-tall equestrian statue honoring one of the military men who, between the second half of the 19th century and the mid-20th century, was one of the most popular figures in the Army: General Osório.

Image description: The image shows a statue of a general mounted on a horse, located in a public space with trees in the background. The statue is positioned at the center of the image, with the horse in motion and the general sitting upright on it. In the background, there is a modern building and some other structures. The trees are green and dense, providing shade to the monument. The sky is light blue, with no clouds.

Born in Rio Grande do Sul in 1808, Manoel Luís Osório was raised on his maternal grandparents' land. He did not attend formal school and began his military career shortly before turning 15, in 1823. He joined the Army as a soldier, rose to the highest rank, and gained national prominence following his role in the controversial Paraguayan War (1864-1870).

Admired not only for his performance on the battlefield – which at times bordered on recklessness, having fought hand-to-hand with enemies on the front line – but also for his attitude toward comrades and subordinates, he was seen as an affable, courageous man, beloved by the soldiers. In a way, he subverted the Army's hierarchy, speaking as an equal with lower-ranking military personnel and teaching by example.

Image description: This is a painting that depicts a battle scene. The composition is dense, with soldiers in motion, horses, and weapons scattered across the battlefield. On the left side, we see soldiers mounted on horses, some holding red flags. In the center, there is a group of human figures in combat, with a shirtless man, apparently wounded, lying on the ground standing out. On the right, more soldiers are in action, some fallen to the ground. The sky is cloudy and stormy, with gray clouds and smoke from fire in the background, suggesting the intensity of the battle.

Among all the conflicts of the Paraguayan War in which Osório took part, the highlights are the Battle of Tuiuti (May/1866) – one of the largest battles in South America, in which his performance was crucial to repelling the Paraguayan attack – and the Battle of Avaí (December/1868), an occasion on which the Brazilian troops emerged victorious but a rifle shot completely destroyed his jaw.

Image description: This is a painting depicting a battle scene. The composition is dense, with soldiers moving in various directions. On the left side, we see horsemen mounted on brown horses, holding swords and flags. As we move to the right, we observe more soldiers on foot, some fallen on the ground, while others continue fighting. In the center, a horse lies fallen, surrounded by the wounded and the dead. On the right, a soldier kneels, aiming a weapon upward. The background features a landscape with trees and smoke, suggesting the intensity of the battle. The colors are vibrant, with shades of red, yellow, and green predominating.

Wounded in the Battle of Avaí, the general went to recover in Rio Grande do Sul. However, just a few months after the accident, he had to comply with a request from the Count D'Eu, Princess Isabel's husband, who had been called to take command of the troops in place of Caxias. Osório was requested as a kind of adviser, in order to assist the inexperienced commander, and, in mid-May 1869, still very weak, he set off for Paraguay, where he not only gave advice to the Count D'Eu, but also returned to the battlefield once again.

Also involved in political debates, Manoel Luís Osório was a member of the Liberal Party, having led the organization in Rio Grande do Sul in the late 1860s, by then a general in the Army.

Image description: This is an old photograph of a man wearing a military uniform. He is seated with his hands resting on his right knee. To his left, he holds an object that appears to be a sword. The background is neutral and monochromatic.

His political involvement raised him to the position of Minister of War in 1878, a post he held until his death in October 1879, at the age of 71, a victim of pneumonia. His popularity was so great that, in the year of his death, the idea arose of erecting a statue in the general's honor. In 1887, the monument was commissioned from Rodolfo Bernardelli for 160 contos de réis – an amount raised by the people of Rio themselves – and in 1894, in Praça XV, the equestrian statue was unveiled at a great celebration, as part of the fifth-anniversary commemorations of the Proclamation of the Republic, which was attended by around 40 thousand people.

Image description: This is an old sepia-toned photograph showing a large crowd gathered in a public space. On the left side, we see historic buildings with flat roofs and evenly spaced windows. In the center stands a prominent statue of a general, with a horse in front of him. In the background, two large church towers stand out, with domes and ornamental architectural details. The crowd fills the space between the buildings and the statue, forming a dense gathering.

Made from bronze taken from cannons captured in the Paraguayan War, the statue depicts Osório on a horse, with his sword unsheathed, seemingly ready to give the order to attack. At the base of the monument, made of granite, there are bas-reliefs representing Passo da Pátria (Paraguayan camp) and the Battle of Tuiuti. There is also an oak wreath with the inscription "A Osorio — O Povo," and the date of his birth.

Image description: The image is an old black-and-white photograph. In the center is an equestrian statue of a general, positioned atop a pedestal with a front panel. To the left, there is a church tower with a dome and ornamental architectural details. To the right, there is a building with balconies and windows. The sky is clear and open.

At the time of the founding of the Republic, Osório became one of the symbols of the new regime, thanks to his political stance that, aligned with the origins of the Liberal Party, advocated for the decentralization of power and greater participation of citizens in political debates.

His popularity was so great that, before the creation of Soldier's Day, on 08/25/1925, it was on May 24 (the anniversary of the Battle of Tuiuti) that the military would gather to celebrate the Army — always in front of the statue of Osório.

This prestige began to wane starting in the 1960s, when Duque de Caxias was elevated to the position of Patron of the Army on 03/13/1962. On that same date, Osório was placed on a lower rung of the military pantheon, being made official Patron of the Cavalry.

Image description: The image shows two logos. On the left side, there is a blue shield with a crown and decorative elements, followed by the text "Rio Prefeitura Turismo" in blue. On the right side, there is a logo with the phrase "Rio Memórias" in orange, inside a square with vertical lines.