In October 1820, King d. João VI received word that a revolution, led by liberal merchants, had taken control of Portugal's most important cities, Porto and Lisbon. Reports indicated that the rebels had ordered the opening of a constituent assembly, which would govern the entire kingdom. The "vintistas," as they were called, pledged loyalty to the House of Braganza; the king, in turn, was to swear obedience to the constitution. However, the crown of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves sat upon the head of a monarch accustomed to absolutist ways of governing.
In other words, the information arriving in Rio de Janeiro smelled of trouble to some, but stirred up excitement for change in others. The news was addressed to the king, but quickly took to the streets. And a good guess as to where the rumor mill started is the port docks, on the edge of Largo do Paço (present-day Praça XV).
Figure 1 — View of Largo do Paço. Jean-Baptiste Debret, 1839. Fundação Biblioteca Nacional [icon393054_137]
Image description: This is a photograph of a city with a mountainous landscape in the background. On the left side, we see a series of densely populated buildings, while on the right, there is a more open area with some smaller structures. In the center, there is a large green area, possibly a park or a square, surrounded by buildings. In the background, two distinct mountains stand out, one of them rounded in shape and the other more rectangular. The sky shows tones of orange and pink, with some scattered clouds. In the upper left, we see the sun shining.Before successive landfills gave Praça XV its present-day appearance, for a long time, it was the main gateway for travelers arriving in Rio de Janeiro. The ships that carried travelers and goods, also brought ideas. News and impressions reached the kingdom's court. Private letters, official decrees, newspapers, and various pamphlets arrived. Banned books and publications, when not seized, also landed right under the nose of royal power. But beyond the written word, red-hot news traveled through the chatter of the sailors. The most talkative were vectors, spreading the latest news on dry land. And few places in Rio de Janeiro were as bustling as that region.
The fountain built by Mestre Valentim was a bustling meeting point ever since it was inaugurated in 1789. The large fountain is a single block, carved in granite, full of decorative details. It stood in front of the accesses used for the loading and unloading of people and goods from canoes and other small vessels, capable of approaching the city's shores.
Figure 2 — Fountain of the Largo do Paço Imperial. Louis Pierre Alphonse Bichebois, c.1840. Museu Imperial
Image description: This is a photograph of a historic building located in a residential neighborhood. The image shows a panoramic view of the building, which occupies most of the scene, with modern buildings in the background. The building has several windows and decorative balconies, with a light-colored, detailed façade. On the right, there is a green area with trees. In the lower right corner, a car is parked.We can only imagine the intense bustle and clamor of quitandeiras and other street vendors, enslaved people hired out for wages performing the most varied tasks, public officials, sailors newly arrived, waiting, or departing, mule drivers, small and wealthy merchants, soldiers, and ministers. The French artist, Jean-Baptiste Debret — chiefly responsible for the visual records of Rio de Janeiro between the 1810s and 1830s — described a daily scene of the place in this way:
Por volta das quatro horas da tarde que se veem os pequenos capitalistas chegarem de todas as ruas adjacentes ao largo do Palácio, para se sentarem nos parapeitos do cais, onde têm o costume de vir sentir à fresca até a Ave Maria (das seis às sete horas da tarde). Em menos de meia hora todos os lugares estão tomados.
Figure 3 — The refreshments of the Palace. Jean-Baptiste Debret, 1839. Fundação Biblioteca Nacional [icon326377_092]
Image description: This is a black-and-white engraving depicting a historical scene at a port quay. On the left side, we see a building with a dome and tower, while in the background several ships are moored. In the center, several people are interacting, some holding containers and other objects. On the right, two men dressed in military uniforms are standing, one holding a rifle. At the bottom of the image, there is text that reads: "LES RAFRAICHISSEMENS DE L'APRÈS DINER SUR LA PLACE DU PALAIS".Where there is a small crowd, there is also a good deal of chatter. And in the years of Independence, it is hard to imagine that the kingdom's politics were not a topic discussed among the people who daily filled the palace harbor. Just like Rua Direita (present-day Primeiro de Março) — one of the streets that opened onto the square —, the pier near the Paço had become a space where politics was a matter of public discussion, imagination ran wild, and ideas gained a momentum of their own. And in the process of Brazil's independence, spaces like the Paço pier were formidable settings for the people to develop a taste for debating and thinking about the destinies of their country and their people.
Bibliographic References
ENDERS, Armelle. A história do Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro: Gryphus Editora, 2015.
MARSON, Izabel Andrade; OLIVEIRA, Cecília Helena L. de Salles (Orgs.). Monarquia, liberalismo e negócios no Brasil: 1780-1860. São Paulo: Edusp, 2013.
PEDREIRA, Jorge Miguel Viana; COSTA, Fernando Dores. D. João VI: a prince between two continents. São Paulo: Companhia das Letras, 2008.
SHULTZ, Kristen. Tropical Versailles: Empire, Monarchy, and the Portuguese Royal Court in Rio de Janeiro, 1808-1821. Rio de Janeiro: Civilização Brasileira, 2008.
