Olinda is the former capital of the State of Pernambuco, in the northeast of Brazil. It is well known for the baroque style of its buildings, which dates back to the colonial period. Its architecture is so unique that it received the title of World Cultural Heritage site from UNESCO in 1982.
Olinda is also famous for its typical pottery, tapestry and woodcrafts work. Home of artists, sculptures, and writers and the founding place of Brazil's first law school.
Together with Recife, the present capital of the State, it is a privileged spot for Carnival celebrations, in which the popular music rhythms of the Northeast of the country play an outstanding role.
5 minutes by car, one old city named Recife is a very important point for the Israel people worldwide; There is the first Western Synagogue in Old Recife, full of history and stories of how the Jews brought their rich culture to the west - via Holland!
It was from here that Jews were further dispersed to North America, New York State when the Portuguese ousted the Dutch from Brazil. |
 |
|
You cannot lose:
Acaraje and "Tapioca" with cheese at the "Alto da SE";
Do nothing at Sunset at the "Alto da Se"!
Eat fried fish, called "agulha", in the coast pubs ;
Eat fried fish, called "CAVALA", in the coast pubs while the moonrise ;
Drink juice of sugarcane and feel like Super;
Visit the corner called "4 Cantos";
Look at the world from the Lighthouse
Walk up and down in the streets;
Come back again and again!
Attractions: Architecture: Walking in the Historic Center of Olinda allows tourists to see the buildings and monuments that make its architecture so precious and unique. The help of junior tourist guides is provided by the City Hall. 20 Baroque churches, a convent from 1585 and "passos" (chapels) still pop up through the hills .The main buildings (and their respective construction dates) are: Mosteiro de Saint Bento (1582)- baroque style Igreja da Se (1537); Igreja Nossa Senhora do Carmo (1580);
Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Misericordia (1540);
Convent de Saint Francisco - Igreja de Nossa Senhora das Neves (1754) - beautiful murals made of Portuguese tiles;
Igreja de Saint Francisco (1577);
Museum de Arte Sacra, located in the old Episcopal Palace (1676)- sacred art and Latin-American paintings;
Museum de Arte Contemporaneous;
Forty de Saint Francisco;
Sobrados Mouriscos.
The Museum de Arte Sacra de Pernambuco, for example, displays sacred art in the 17th-century digs of the government council, while the Museum de Arte Contemporaneous hangs modern art in a former prison the Catholic Church used during the Inquisition.
The monasteries of So Francisco and Saint Bento have art collections, and the regional museum, state museum, and sugar museum are of interest. Also in the city are the fort of Saint Francisco, called the Cheese Fort; the City Hall, or government house of the captains general; and the Joaquim Nabuco Institute. Founded in 1535, Olinda was the capital of a Portuguese colonial captaincy until it was succeeded by Recife; from 1630 to 1654 it was under Dutch rule.
Also go shopping for craft items at the “Mercado da Ribeira”. The typical music and dance of the Northeast of Brazil flourish in Olinda. Among the most popular dances are “frevo”, “pastoris” and “maracatu”, which choreographies are rich in colors, movement and rhythm. They make for the uniqueness of Carnival in Olinda, one of the favorites in Brazil.
listen to Carnival music here
here in English, German, Spanish, French, Italian and Portuguese
|
