Thefirsthill:MorrodoCastelo

Escolhi um sítio que parecia mais conveniente para edificar nele a cidade de São Sebastião o qual sítio era de um grande mato espesso cheio de muitas árvores grossas em que se levou assaz de trabalho em as cortar e a limpar o dito sítio e edificar uma cidade grande cercada de muro por cima com muitos baluartes e fortes cheios de artilharia, e fiz a igreja dos padres de Jesus onde agora residem telhada e bem consertada

Image description: This is a painting depicting a panoramic view of a coastal city. On the left side, we see a stone wall with people walking and conversing. In front, there is a green garden with trees and shrubs. In the center, a hill covered in vegetation stands out, with old buildings arranged along it. To the right, the sea is calm, with a few ships in the distance. On the horizon, mountains are visible beneath a blue sky with a few clouds. The text at the bottom of the image identifies the location as "The Public Gardens, Convent da Ajuda, Hill of St. Sebastião, St. Luzia, Ponta do Calabouço, As seen from the Church of N.S. la Gloria, 1809."

In 1567, Morro do Castelo became the nucleus of the city of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro, founded two years earlier. In its early years of occupation, the hill was fortified to shelter the Portuguese settlers and resist any retaliation attempt by the French – allied with the Tupinambás – who had been defeated and expelled from the city.

The Castelo then occupied an area of 184 thousand square meters. Its height reached 63 meters, and the hill was bounded on its four sides by what are now Rio Branco Avenue (formerly Avenida Central) and Santa Luzia, Misericórdia, and São José streets. It was surrounded by walls and bastions full of artillery, following the Portuguese model of "acropolis-cities" – that is, built on higher, fortified ground in order to favor watch-keeping and the defense of the urban core. Within the walls stood the Casa da Câmara, the jail, the royal warehouses, and the church of Santo Inácio dos Jesuítas, alongside the Colégio da Companhia de Jesus and the three-nave Sé.

Image description: This is a painting depicting a panoramic view of a coastal city. The scene is made up of natural and urban elements. On the left side, there are two tall palm trees with vibrant green foliage. In the background, there are hills covered with green vegetation. On the right, the city is located near the sea, with several houses and buildings with red roofs. In the center, there is an architectural structure that appears to be a church or temple, with towers and domes. At the bottom of the image, there is a path where two figures are walking. The sky is light blue with a few clouds. In the lower right corner, there is an inscription that reads "VISTA TOMADA DE Sª THEREZA."

At the foot of the hill, on Pontal de Santiago (later Ponta do Calabouço), the Forte de São Tiago was built, and at the top the Forte de São Sebastião was built, which, seen from below, looked like a medieval castle. Hence the name Morro do Castelo.

Image description: This is a black-and-white illustration depicting a coastal city. On the left side, there is a large building with several windows, possibly a palace or fortress, located on a hill. In front of it, there is a series of smaller houses, forming a village or settlement. In the center, there is a road descending the hill, connecting the palace to the lower part of the city. On the right, there are more buildings, including a church with a visible dome. In the background, there is a small fortification with flags. In the lower part of the image, two ships are sailing on the water.