A freguesia de Santa Rita e o seu primeiro cemitério para pretos novos constituem um sítio privilegiado para o exercício de uma arqueologia da ‘transição’ e oferecem um laboratório singular para a narrativa histórica da diáspora africana
The Cemitério de Pretos Novos do Largo de Santa Rita represents one of the most tragic and significant chapters in the history of colonial Rio de Janeiro. Located in front of the Igreja de Santa Rita, in the heart of the city's old downtown, the cemetery operated between 1722 and 1769, being the first space designated exclusively for the burial of enslaved Africans, generally young people, who succumbed during the Atlantic crossing or in their first days on land, victims of disease, malnutrition, violence, and the inhumane conditions of transport. Their bodies were piled up, burned, and buried without any ritual or respect for human dignity. The cemetery's original location, right in the urban center, generated intense complaints from authorities and residents, who were bothered by the proximity of death to everyday life. During the administration of the Marquês do Lavradio, in 1774, it was decided to move the cemetery and the trade of people to Valongo, in an attempt to hide the horror of the trafficking from the sight of citizens. In 2018, the former site at Largo de Santa Rita was rediscovered during construction work on VLT Line 3, revealing eighteenth-century archaeological remains. As a result of an agreement between public authorities and Black movements, it was decided to preserve the human remains underground, without excavation or analysis, as a way of honoring the memory of the victims. The site was marked off, and the VLT route was adjusted to respect the area. Today, Largo de Santa Rita stands as a space of memory and reparation, symbolized by a black rose at the center of the pavement, in reference to the emblem used, in the nineteenth century, by abolitionist movements. The site has thus become a place of homage and reflection on the violence and resistance of the enslaved African population.
Image description: This is an old black-and-white photograph of a square called Largo de Santa Rita. The image shows a plaza with old buildings and people walking about. On the left side, there is a building with arched windows and a main entrance. In the center, there is a fountain with running water and a few people around it. On the right, there is a church with ornamental details on its facade. In the background, other buildings and a tree can be seen.Largo de Santa Rita.
