TheThirdHill:SãoBentoHill

Image description: This is a black-and-white print depicting the Mosteiro de São Bento in Rio de Janeiro. The image shows a monumental building with two side towers, each with a pinnacle and crosses on top. The central tower has a visible bell. The main building has three levels, with rectangular windows and arches on the lower level. On the right, there is a lower wing with balconies. In front of the building, there is an entrance covered by a sloped roof. People are scattered across the outdoor area, walking or gathering in groups. In the center of the image, there is a coat of arms with decorative elements. In the lower corner, it reads "Mosteiro de S. Bento no Rio de Janeiro".

On the side opposite Morro do Castelo, on the north shore of Guanabara Bay, rises the third hill that formed the original quadrilateral of the city of Rio de Janeiro: Morro de São Bento.

Connected to Castelo Hill by Rua Direita – opened at the end of the 16th century to link the two hills – Morro de São Bento began to be occupied around 1590, following the settlement of Benedictine monks at the top of the hill.

Image description: The image is an old map of the City of Rio de Janeiro, dated around 1640. The spatial layout begins on the left, where the Morro de São Bento is located, marked with the number 2. Along the coast, there are several lagoons and hills numbered, including Morro do Castelo, marked with the number 1. To the right are the hills of Santo Antônio and Conceição, marked with numbers 3 and 4, respectively. The map also indicates various paths and slopes, such as the Caminho de Castelo, marked with the number 10. The background of the map shows Guanabara Bay, with the island of Carioca, marked with the number 16.

Initially, the Benedictines settled in a small chapel dedicated to Nossa Senhora do Ó, on what was then the Caminho de Manuel de Brito – as the streets Misericórdia and Direita were called. But the intense activity of the busiest thoroughfare of the period did not please the Benedictines. They moved from their initial address after receiving, from Manoel de Brito and his son Diogo de Brito Lacerda, the donation of the lands of the hill until then called Morro da Conceição, thanks to a small hermitage dedicated to Nossa Senhora da Conceição located at its top.

Image description: This is an engraving showing a coastal city with mountains in the background. On the left side, there are several buildings close to the water, including a large three-masted ship. On the right, there is a fortress with towers and flags. In the center, there is an open area with smaller buildings. On the right, higher up, stands a complex of buildings with towers and a raised flag. The sky is clear and cloudless.

Around the year 1602, Our Lady of Monserrate became the patron saint of the hill, at the suggestion of the then-governor Francisco de Souza. The governor's idea was to honor King Philip II, who ruled Portugal and Spain during the Iberian Union (1580-1640). In 1633, construction began on the monastery's abbey church, using stones from the Morro da Viúva region (in Flamengo). The church, built with enslaved labor, was inaugurated in 1641, but the complete work was only finished almost a hundred years later. It is one of the most beautiful churches in Rio and one of the main monuments of Luso-Brazilian Baroque. At the top of the hill, a Gymnasium was also built – now the São Bento school.

Image description: This is a photograph of a church interior with rich baroque decoration. On the left side, we see ornamental details in carved wood, with columns and statues. In the center, there is a majestic altar, covered with a red carpet, with a golden staircase leading to the main altar. On the right, more statues and more wooden ornaments are visible. The floor is covered with tiles in a black and white checkered pattern. In the front section, there is a wooden pulpit with decorative details. The lighting is soft, highlighting the golden and red elements.

The monastery also served as a fortification at the time French corsairs invaded the city, in the early 18th century. In September 1711, René Duguay-Trouin achieved the feat of invading — arriving via Ilha das Cobras, facing the São Bento hill — and occupying Rio de Janeiro for almost two months. On that occasion, the monastery held out, despite having little ammunition, and survived the attacks.

Image description: This is a black-and-white engraving, depicting an urban landscape with a river in the foreground. On the left side, we see trees and low buildings. In the center, there is a large building with several windows and a sloped roof. On the right, there are more, smaller buildings and a metal structure. In the background, mountains covered by clouds form the horizon. At the top, the sky is partly cloudy.

References:

TEAM Brasiliana Iconográfica. From atop the hill: the São Bento monastery. Available at: https://www.brasilianaiconografica.art.br/artigos

HOYUELA JAYO, José Antonio; MAIA FRAGOSO, Mauro. Territórios e paisagens beneditinas no Rio De Janeiro. Available at: https://periodicos.ufmg.br

Mosteiro de São Bento website.

SOUZA, Jorge Victor de Araújo. Local power between ora et labora: the Benedictine house in the fabric of seventeenth-century Rio de Janeiro. In Dossiê Ordens e congregações religiosas no mundo Ibero-Atlântico.