TheFourthHill:OurLadyofConception

Together with Castelo, Santo Antônio, and São Bento, Morro da Conceição completes the initial territory in which the city took shape during its first three centuries. Previously called Morro do Padre Salsa, it was starting in the 1630s – with the construction of the chapel dedicated to Nossa Senhora da Conceição – that the top of the hill began to be occupied by religious, and later military, institutions. After the chapel was built, the hill became known as Morro da Conceição.

Image description: This is a black-and-white print of a palace located in Nossa Senhora da Conceição, Rio de Janeiro. The image shows the Bishop's Palace, with a classical and symmetrical façade. On the left side, we see a small tree and a fence that marks the boundary of the palace grounds. In the center, the main building has three floors, with regular windows and a balcony on the second floor. On the right, there is a smaller structure, possibly a tower or an annex building. In the background, we see a hill covered with vegetation. At the top of the image, it reads "RIO DE JANEIRO" and at the bottom, "PALACIO DO BISPO (nossa sa conceição)".

The chapel was occupied by French Capuchins around 1667, and after a major renovation, in 1702 it became the Episcopal Palace – the official residence of the city's diocesan bishops. But the strategic position of Morro da Conceição – whose summit allowed a broad view of Guanabara Bay – made it a target of the French incursions of 1710 and 1711.

It was after these invasions that the Portuguese Crown chose to fortify the hill, tasking Brigadier João Massé with designing a new defensive system for the city. Thus, in 1713, the Fortaleza da Conceição was inaugurated, built behind the Episcopal Palace. Together with the Santa Cruz da Barra fortress (in Niterói) and São João fortress (in the Urca neighborhood), the Fortaleza da Conceição formed the defensive complex at the entrance to the bay.

Target of many complaints from the bishops residing in the Episcopal Palace, due to the noise and violence of the cannon shots – which shook the walls of the palace, in 1718 the fortress stopped firing and, in 1765, it was transformed into a "Casa de Armas" – to store the weapons of the colonial troops.

Image description: This is a photograph of a monumental entrance made of stone, with a central portal. The entrance is set in a rustic stone wall, with a blue and white sign fixed above the portal. To the left and right of the portal, there are decorative architectural details. Clear blue sky is visible in the background, along with some green trees. The ground in front of the entrance is made of uneven stones, with a few patches of green grass.

In 1733, the Aljube prison – used for the confinement of clergymen – was built, and a few years later, at the foot of the hill, the Church of São Francisco da Prainha (1740), of the Franciscan order, was erected. The church received this name because it stood within the boundaries of the old Prainha, part of the Valongo cove that disappeared after successive landfills. At the foot of the hill is also located the Pedra do Sal, an important stronghold of the Black population and dock workers.

Image description: This is a black-and-white engraving depicting a coastal city. On the left side, we see houses and buildings close to the water, with some boats in view. In the center, a large ship is docked near the shore. On the right, the city stretches out to the horizon, with various buildings and trees. The sky is partly cloudy, and the sun shines softly over the landscape.

With the passing of the years, urban interventions gradually changed the features of the region. But the atmosphere of a Rio de Janeiro that has almost completely disappeared is still preserved in Morro da Conceição, in its centuries-old rows of houses that date back to the colonial period, and in its streets and hillside lanes – some of them laid out as early as the 18th century, such as Rua da Pedreira (1713), now Rua da Conceição; Rua do Aljube (1733), now Rua do Acre; and Rua do Valongo (1760), now Camerino.

Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of a street on a hill. On the left side, we see old houses with sloped roofs and large windows. Moving to the right, we see a taller building with many windows. On the right side, there is a stone wall with plants growing on it. In the foreground, we see a stone staircase descending the hill. The image has a sepia tone, giving it a historic look.

References:

CARDOZO, Kleber Marinho. Habitação popular e preservação do patrimônio na reabilitação do centro do Rio de Janeiro – o caso do edifício na rua Senador Pompeu 34. Master's Thesis submitted to the Graduate Program in Architecture. Faculdade de Arquitetura e Urbanismo – Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 2009.

MARENGA, Renata Costa and SILVA, Luiz Felipe Coutinho Ferreira. The influence of military fortifications on the urban expansion of the city of Rio de Janeiro from the perspective of historical cartography. Revista Brasileira de Cartografia, Rio de Janeiro, No 67/4, p. 851-866, Jul/Aug/2015.

SCHLEE, Mônica Bahia. Cenografia urbana como indicador de qualidade ambiental na cidade do Rio de Janeiro. Dissertation presented to the Faculdade de Arquitetura e Urbanismo of the Universidade de São Paulo, 1999.