AnewbeginningatMorrodoCastelo

Estácio de Sá, the city's founder and nephew of Mem de Sá, ended up losing his life in the attack on the French in 1567, in the Batalha de Uruçumirim, where the Outeiro da Glória is located today. Shortly after the battle, Mem de Sá decided to transfer the seat of the new city to the top of Morro de São Januário – which later came to be called Morro do Descanso and was finally renamed Morro do Castelo – for security reasons and also following the Lusitanian tradition of occupying elevated sites for the founding of cities.

Image description: This is a painting depicting a mountainous city. On the left side, we see a fortress with a mast where a flag is raised. The city extends to the right, with colorful houses and buildings arranged on a hill. In the background, there is a mountain range and, to the right, a river or lake. The sky is clear and blue.

From up there, the inhabitants could have greater control over Guanabara Bay. And there the Jesuit College, the Main Church (Sé) and the Church of Santo Inácio were built, along with the fortifications needed for the city's defense, the Municipal Chamber, and the warehouses of the Royal Treasury. The buildings followed the experiences of the colonizers who, drawing on Roman, Visigothic, Christian, Arab, and Renaissance influences – peoples who had coexisted in the Iberian Peninsula – stamped the Portuguese building pattern onto the emerging city. These diverse experiences fed the idea of a city always in motion, geared toward the future, an ideal city that existed beyond its physical form.

Image description: The image is a historic map-chart in yellow and green tones, depicting the Rio de Janeiro region. On the left side, we see the sea with several islands and peninsulas marked by names in old Portuguese. As we move to the right, we find the city of São Sebastião, located near Pão de Açúcar. The center of the image highlights the open sea, with a red dot indicating the geographic center. On the right, there are more islands and coastal areas, with names written in Gothic lettering. The map presents topographical details and place names in old Portuguese, such as "Rio de Janeiro," "Pão de Açúcar," and "Cidade Velha."

Perched on top, the city of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro dominated the landscape. From there, one could observe the contours of the mountains and the calm waters around. The men and women who inhabited that hill gave meaning to the new. The mud-and-wattle houses were rehearsals for dreams of the future.

Image description: This is an engraving showing a coastal city. On the left side, we see several houses arranged in a straight line, with some larger and taller buildings. In the center, there is a large building with domes and towers, possibly a church or palace, located on a hill. On the right, there are more small buildings and a fortress with a raised flag. In the background, we see a hill and a mountain. In the foreground, there is water with boats floating. The image is in sepia tones.