At the end of 1559, Mem de Sá received orders from Portugal to put an end to the French occupation of Rio de Janeiro, which had begun four years earlier. Setting out from Salvador, the governor-general of Brazil sailed down with his fleet, gathering combatants along the way. In Ilhéus, he met Jean Cointa, a deserter from the French venture, who gave him details about Fort Coligny, the French base in Guanabara Bay, situated on the island of Serigipe, today's Ilha de Villegagnon.
Image description: The image is an illustration of an old map, dated 1574, made by Luís Teixeira. The map depicts the region of Guanabara Bay, highlighting the former French fort Tomada do forte Coligny pelos portugueses. The spatial layout begins on the left, where the island of Maricá is seen, followed by Fort Coligny, and ends on the right with the island of São João. The areas are marked with names in Portuguese, such as "Rio de Janeiro," "Aldeia de Maricá," and "Cidade de São Sebastião." The colors are predominantly red, yellow, and green, with details in blue and black.Mapa da baía de Guanabara, onde se pode distinguir o antigo forte francês. Título:
Roteiro de todos os sinais, conhecimentos, fundos, baixos, alturas, e derrotas que há na costa do Brasil desde o cabo de Santo Agostinho até ao estreito de Fernão de Magalhães
”. Autor: Luís Teixeira, 1574. Acervo Biblioteca da Ajuda, Lisboa. Fonte: História do Rio para todos.
On February 21, 1560, Mem de Sá's troops, already stationed at a port near the island, included Portuguese soldiers and "gentios" recruited in Bahia, as well as Tupiniquim from São Vicente and Maracajá from Espírito Santo. At first, the Portuguese governor proposed, in a letter addressed to Captain Bois-Le-Comte, commander of the French, a diplomatic way out, to which the latter replied that he would only leave the fortress by order of his own king.
With reinforcements of men sent from São Vicente, and after studying the island and deciding how to cross the enormous rocks surrounding it, Mem de Sá's troops advanced toward the fortress in their caravels, ships, and canoes, under the blessings of the Jesuits who accompanied them. Portuguese artillery pressed the French and the Tupinambás — a group of natives whom the French had allied with in previous years — between Palmeiras Hill, the point offering the best access to the fortress, and the other end of the island, which was also heavily attacked by the Portuguese. Another night and a full day of cannon fire and hand-to-hand combat were needed before the Portuguese managed to reach the fortress tower. Forced to abandon their last stronghold, the remaining French and natives fled toward the mainland.
Depiction of the Portuguese attack on the island of Serigipe in March 1560. Title: Isle et Fort des François. Author: André Thevet. Paris, 1575. Wikimedia Commons.
Image description: This is a black-and-white engraving. The image depicts a scene of maritime conflict. On the left side, we see a small island with a fortification marked as "Henryville." In front of it, there are several vessels, including a large ship that appears to be under attack by other boats. In the center, there is a large island called "Ile des Margaiat," where the "Fort des Français" is located. On the right, we see a large body of water with the text "Armée des Portugais" indicating the position of the Portuguese troops. In the lower right portion, there is a human figure in a canoe, and in the background, we see a large mass of trees and rocks. The title of the image is "Isle e Fort des Français," and it was created by André Thevet in Paris in 1575.The Portuguese victory, with the conquest of the island, did not guarantee the total expulsion of the French from the Guanabara Bay region. Many of them took refuge inland and fought alongside the indigenous peoples in the conflicts that followed, which culminated in the conquest of the mainland portion of the territory and the founding of the city of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro.
