Urbanity,faith,andwealth

É interessante observar que nas construções mais antigas do século XVII, especialmente as de ordens religiosas como a de São Bento, as torres guardam o aspecto básico de fortaleza [...]. Já no século XVIII, à função de suporte dos sinos agrega-se o valor simbólico de sinal externo de riqueza e prestígio das irmandades proprietárias, traduzido em sua maior altura e na ornamentação apurada dos coroamentos.

In the early centuries of colonization, architecture geared toward protection set the tone for the urbanity of Rio de Janeiro, and while the fortresses installed along the coast were meant to protect the city against invasions, the 16th-century churches and monasteries – and some from the early 17th century – served the function of “protecting the spirits,” often themselves functioning as fortification structures for the city.

Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of a fort located in a mountainous setting. On the left side, we see a steep mountain, while on the right there is another mountain with a triangular shape. The fort is built over the water, with its rectangular walls and several openings that served as gun ports for artillery. In front of the fort, the sea is rough, with waves crashing against the rocks. In the background, the sky is cloudy, giving the image a somber tone.

In the 16th century, Mannerism – a transitional style between Neoclassical and Baroque – marked the architecture of some of the city's buildings. But it was the Baroque style that, in the 17th century, became Rio de Janeiro's great architectural legacy.

Image description: This is a photograph of a historic church located on a street. The church has a white facade with gray stone details. On the left, there is a tower with a bell and a cross on top. On the right, there is a building with green balconies and windows with bars. In front of the church, there is a sign reading "Ladeira da Misericordia." In the background, there are trees and a clear blue sky.

In the 18th century, the incorporation of Joanine woodcarving, perspective painting, and polygonal and curvilinear church floor plans – techniques imported from Italy that revolutionized Portuguese Baroque – also spread into civil architecture. These transformations made the city a "model" and created the conditions for Rio de Janeiro's style to spread throughout the rest of the colony, especially to Minas Gerais.

In this environment, the religious Orders occupied a special place. Receiving land donations from the so-called "homens bons" ("good men"), that is, members of the colony's political and financial elite, they built and inhabited Rio's churches and convents in the oldest parts of the city. The first to arrive were the Jesuits – alongside the city's founders in 1565 –, and they occupied Morro do Castelo. Next came the Carmelites, who settled in Largo do Carmo around 1590; the Benedictines, who arrived in Rio de Janeiro in 1589 and settled on Morro de São Bento in 1590; and the Franciscans, who occupied Morro de Santo Antônio in 1615.

Image description: The image is a black-and-white engraving. It shows a convent with colonial architecture, located in Rio de Janeiro. On the left side, there is a long, low building, while the center features a taller structure with three entrance doors. On the right, there is a narrower, taller structure with ornamental details. In the background, there is a staircase with two people walking. At the top of the image, it reads "RIO DE JANEIRO" and at the bottom, "CONVENTO DE S. ANTONIO".

The third orders formed by laymen were also established in the baroque city. Initially, there were three: the Venerable Third Order of São Francisco da Penitência, the Venerable Order of Nossa Senhora do Carmo, and the Venerable Order of São Francisco de Paula, all sustained by the wealth and devotion of the city's leading men.

Image description: This is a photograph of an altar adorned with richly decorated details. The image shows a central structure with golden elements and religious sculptures. On the left, we see a series of columns and gilded frames extending up to the ceiling. In the center, there is a large golden statue of an angel with open wings, flanked by other decorative elements. On the right, more golden details and carved figures complete the composition. The background features a series of frames and ornamental details that repeat along the wall.

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CUSTÓDIO, José A. C. Defense Architecture in Colonial Brazil. Discursos fotográficos, Londrina, v.7, n.10, p.173-194, Jan./Jun. 2011

OLIVEIRA, Myriam A. R. JUSTINIANO, Fátima. Baroque and Rococo in the Churches of Rio de Janeiro. Brasília, DF: IPHAN / Programa Monumenta, 2008.

PEREIRA, Sónia Gomes. A Santa Casa da Misericórdia do Rio de Janeiro: two crucial moments of Brazilian architecture – the colonial work and the 19th-century renovation. In: FERREIRA-ALVES, Natália M. A Misericórdia de Vila Real e as Misericórdias no Mundo de Expressão Portuguesa. CEPESE – Centro De Estudos Da População, Economia e Sociedade, 2011.