Founded by Estácio de Sá by the sea in 1565, the city climbed Morro do Descanso (later Morro do Castelo) in 1567, under the command of Mem de Sá. Afterward, it decided to expand and move toward the future. It occupied the lowland and spread out among the Castelo and three other hills: Morro de Santo Antônio, Morro de São Bento, and Morro da Conceição.
Image description: The image is an old engraving depicting a map of a city. The spatial layout begins on the left, where there is an island with a fortification, followed by a central urban area marked by streets and buildings. On the right, there is another island with a fortified structure. In the center, four hills are highlighted with colored circles: Morro de Santo Antônio in blue, Morro da Conceição in purple, Morro do Castelo in red, and Morro de São Bento in green. Each hill is located at a different point in the city.Planta da cidade, Luís dos Santos Vilhena, 1775. As quatro colinas delimitam o núcleo urbano. Divisão de Cartografia/Fundação Biblioteca Nacional
In this movement, the constructive experience was taking on new contours. On Morro do Castelo, space was restricted and order was dictated by nature, which, on the lowland, was more regular. In the 16th century, Rio de Janeiro still did not have a defined urban character, but the Ladeira da Misericórdia - which ran down from Morro do Castelo - met Rua Direita (also opened in the 16th century), and together with Largo do Carmo (present-day Praça XV), both formed the founding territory of the occupation of the lowland, where the first rammed-earth buildings emerged.
Image description: This is a black-and-white engraving depicting a coastal city. On the left side, we see a fort with a raised flag. In front of it, there are several buildings and boats sailing on the sea. In the center, the city is densely populated with buildings and streets. In the background, a range of mountains covered with vegetation forms the horizon. On the right, another fort with a flag is also visible. In the foreground, several ships are sailing on the sea.Morro do Castelo com a antiga Sé e o Colégio dos Jesuítas (esq.). Morro de São Bento e seu convento (dir.). A Rua Direita ligava o Morro do Castelo ao de São Bento. Acervo: Biblioteca Nacional
One of the first ports in the newly colonized city, the port of Largo do Carmo opened the way for new encounters and people who, more and more, ventured out into Guanabara Bay, broadening the city's horizons. The discovery of new places and riches sharpened the perception that this city held everything needed to recreate Portugal in the tropics.
