CaradeCãoHillandtheOccupationoftheTerritory

The 16th century was already halfway through, and in Europe, the religious wars were claiming many victims. Confusion was widespread, with persecutions and mistrust everywhere. This climate of uncertainty ended up opening new possibilities. The idea of an imaginary republic governed by reason, which contrasted with the conflict-ridden reality of European politics at the time, is described by Thomas More in the book Utopia, published in 1516. The realization of this dream fit well with the whole mythology of the New World, and this idea captivated the French commander Nicolas Durand de Villegagnon, as well as the plans of the Portuguese who landed here.

Image description: This is a sepia photograph of an island with a fortification at its center. On the left side, there is a large body of water, while the sky is slightly cloudy. In the center, there is an irregularly shaped island covered in dense vegetation. In the foreground, a small boat is sailing on the water. At the top of the island, there is a structure that appears to be a fortification, with walls and towers. The island is surrounded by water on all sides, and the horizon is distant, with light clouds.

Mem de Sá — the third governor-general of Brazil and brother of the Portuguese Renaissance poet Sá de Miranda — and Villegagnon chose Guanabara Bay to found their imagined cities: the Frenchman wanted to create Henriville, in honor of the king of France, Henry II. The Portuguese arrived with the mission of founding the city of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro, also in honor of his king, Dom Sebastião.

Image description: The image is a painting depicting an adult man with a beard and mustache. He is wearing a red hat with a golden trim and a shirt with golden details. The background is dark, highlighting the character's face.

The French idea was to found a colony in the southern part of the Americas — the France Antarctique. Setting out on this endeavor, Villegagnon initially occupied Serigipe Island, which would later be renamed after him. There, together with the more than 600 settlers who landed in Guanabara on the mission he commanded, he built Forte Coligny. The island's limited space led to the emergence, very close by, in 1556, of the settlement of Henriville, in Flamengo Bay, near the Aguada dos Marinheiros (or the mouth of the Carioca River). The settlement never became a fully structured town, although some houses, squares, a communal dining hall, and a church were built.

Image description: This is a painting depicting a coastal landscape with mountains in the background. On the left side, we see a triangular-shaped island, while on the right there is a fortress built along the coast. The horizon is filled with other smaller mountains, and the sky is blue with a few white clouds. The sea water is calm and has a bluish-gray tone.

In March 1560, Mem de Sá led several attacks on the French fortification, succeeding in driving the French away from their colony. However, there was not enough force or people to found a city, and for this reason, it fell to Estácio de Sá, nephew of the governor general, to found the Portuguese settlement in Guanabara in 1565, on the edges of Morro Cara de Cão. Only then would his city emerge complete, with a church and dwellings, all the authorities appointed, and a league and a half of land granted to the settlers. The founding rite was concluded with the granting of land grants (sesmarias) to the Jesuits and the settlers. Thus was born the city that had been conceived as a future project, as an ideal city that would come to fruition in time to come.

Image description: The image is an old black-and-white engraving. It shows a detailed map of a coastal area with several islands and peninsulas. On the left, we see "Ville Henri," marked with the name "Lamer" above it. The main island is centered, with "Gouffre de la riviere de Ganabara ou Janaire" written in the middle. On the right, there is another island called "L'Isle des margaiatz." In the center, there is a seal with the name "André Thevet" and the date "1586." The map contains various elements such as houses, trees, and rivers, all depicted in a graphic style.