FoundingofthecityofSãoSebastiãodoRiodeJaneiro

At the entrance to Guanabara Bay, between the Cara de Cão and Pão de Açúcar hills, Estácio de Sá, nephew of governor general Mem de Sá, founded the city of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro on March 1, 1565, invoking the patron saint of King D. Sebastião of Portugal (1554-1578).

Image description: This is a painting depicting the "Founding of the City of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro." The scene shows an outdoor religious ceremony. On the left side, we see a group of indigenous people dressed in traditional clothing, some seated on the ground and others standing. In front of them is a small white building. In the center, a crowd of people watches the ceremony. On the right, an altar with a cross and candles is set on a red carpet. People dressed in formal attire stand around the altar, possibly celebrants or authority figures. In the background, we see a landscape with trees, water, and ships in the distance.

Estácio de Sá received from his uncle the mission of definitively retaking the territory occupied by the French, who had arrived in Guanabara intending to found France Antarctique – their colony in the Americas – in 1555. By 1560, with Forte Coligny already built on Ilha de Villegagnon and a small settlement (Henriville) nearby, the French colonists were attacked by Mem de Sá's troops. However, although the Portuguese governor-general managed to drive the French out of the site, he lacked sufficient troops or strength to found a Portuguese city in the region. This goal was only accomplished in 1565, when the city's foundation stone is said to have been laid before the Jesuit priests who accompanied the expedition.

Image description: The image is a tile painting depicting the "Founding of the city of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro". The scene shows a group of people in a landscape with mountains and water in the background. On the left side, an indigenous man holds a sword and a shield. In front of him is a sign with inscriptions. In the center, a man dressed in armor holds a Portuguese flag. To his right, other individuals, including a priest with a cross, are present. Everyone appears to be celebrating or taking part in a ceremony.

From its founding, the difficulties faced by Estácio de Sá and the Portuguese colonists were not few. The Portuguese settlement remained exposed to enemy attacks, there was a shortage of fresh water, and constant conflicts over land ownership. It was only during the Battle of Uruçumirim, on January 20, 1567, that the Portuguese – relying on the strategic support of the Tupiniquim – managed to definitively defeat the French-Tamoio alliance, expel the French, and consolidate their settlement. Despite the victory, Estácio de Sá was mortally wounded by a poisoned arrow during the battle and died a short time later.

With the dangers of a new French invasion suppressed, Governor Mem de Sá decided to move the city's core to a safer and healthier location: the hill of São Januário – soon afterward called Morro do Descanso, and finally, Morro do Castelo.

Image description: This is a painting depicting the city of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro, seen from the Convento da Ajuda. On the left side, we see a stone wall with three people walking on it. In front of them is a green garden. In the center, there is a hill covered with vegetation, where old buildings stand, including a convent and a church. On the right, the sea is calm, with a few ships in the distance. On the horizon, mountains covered with trees form the background of the scene. The sky is blue with a few white clouds. In the lower corner, there is text that reads: "The Public Gardens, Convent da Ajuda Hill of St. Sebastião, St. Luzia, As seen from the Church of N.S. la Gloria. 1809."