CustomsHouse

In an Atlantic port with as much activity as Rio de Janeiro's, receiving and, above all, shipping out so many valuable goods, customs control was essential. Since the 16th century, the city had a customs house, created as a division of the Royal Treasury Office (Provedoria da Fazenda Real) in 1566.

Image description: This is a black-and-white engraving depicting the Alfândega do Rio de Janeiro. The image shows a large building with several rounded windows, located at the center of the scene. To the left, there is a vessel with a tall mast, and in front, a series of stalls and carts are arranged in a courtyard. People walk through the area, some carrying loads on their heads. To the right, there are lower buildings and a street with tall buildings. At the top of the image is written "RIO DE JANEIRO" and in the background, "ALFANDEGA."

The customs house is a symbol of the connection between local administrative power and the Portuguese Crown, and later with the Imperial State. Tax collection, a source of governmental wealth, arose from this mandatory stop upon arriving in the city. Goods and, especially, people passed through its inspectors, who were registered as merchandise when enslaved.

Image description: This is a painting depicting a harbor scene. On the left, there is a building with a red roof and blue walls. People are gathered around a table on the building's veranda. In the foreground, several people are in wooden boats, some holding oars. In the background, several ships are docked in the harbor. The landscape shows a fortress in the distance, surrounded by trees. The sky is clear with a few clouds.

The customs house identified, wrote, described, counted, and established values. This is one of the institutional faces of arrival in the city, which has Atlantic trade as one of its most important activities.