NORTHEAST BRAZIL - Brazil - page 216

Exploring Olinda

E Museu de Arte
Contemporânea
Rua 13 de Maio 149, Carmo.
Tel [phone]. # 9am-noon
Tue-Fri, 2-5pm Sat & Sun.
Housed in a fine 18th-century
building that originally served
as an ajube , or jail working in
conjunction with the Catholic
church, the Museum of
Contemporary Art displays
both permanent and tem-
porary exhibits. During the
Inquisition, religious prisoners
were brought here to pray
and confess their sins. Today,
the place holds some interest
for those looking for serious
modern art. Works by local
contemporary artists are
regularly displayed in
front of the stairs.

A calm, colonial city, Olinda grew to be the
capital of the rich sugar-growing region of
Pernambuco. Reconstruction started in earnest
only after Dutch forces were expelled in 1654.
The city has maintained its 17th-century archi-
tectural fabric intact. Olinda is also home to a
vibrant community of artists, musicians, and
liberal professionals. The scenic city, though,
is most renowned for its lively Carnaval.

Ceramic
doll, Olinda

E Museu do Mamulengo
Rua do Amparo 59. Tel [phone]
6214. # 8am-5pm Tue-Fri, 10am-
5pm Sat & Sun.
One of the region's unique
gifts to the cultural scene
in Brazil, mamulengo , or
puppetry, is showcased in
this fascinating museum.
Nearly 1,000 puppets are
featured here, with a portion
of the collection dating
from the 1800s. Having
performed before political
figures, royalty, and lumi-
naries through the ages,
these puppets are today
used as popular enter-
tainment. During folk fest-
ivals, the puppets can be
seen enacting comedies,
skits, and Pernambucan
folk legends. For those
interested in the puppets'
historical background,
there is a curator who
can explain it by asking
the puppets themselves.

The exterior of Igreja e Mosteiro de São Bento in Olinda

R Convento de São Francisco
Rua de São Francisco 280. Tel (081)
3429 0517. # 7am-noon & 2-5pm
Mon-Fri, 7am-noon Sat. &
The Convento de São
Francisco was the first con-
vent built by the Franciscan
order in Brazil. The complex
includes a 1585 church, Nossa
Senhora das Neves (Our
Lady of the Snow), and the
adjacent chapels of St. Anne
and St. Roque, built in 1754
and 1811, respectively. The
highlight of the convent is the
beautiful arcade surrounding
the cloister. The tiled walls
tell the story of St. Francis of
Assisi. The sacristy's beautiful
Baroque furniture, carved
from dark jacaranda wood,
is as impressive.

R Igreja e Mosteiro
de São Bento
Rua São Bento. Tel [phone]
3288. # 9-11am & 2-5pm Mon-
Sat. 5 6:30am Mon-Sat, 10am &
6pm Sun (with Gregorian chants).
Built in 1582, this monastry
was destroyed by the Dutch
along with most of the city,
and rebuilt in the late 18th
century. It is acclaimed for its
Baroque altar in the chapel
and intricate wood carving,
which features the image of
São Bento (St. Benedict)
himself. In 2001, the original
wood altar was repainted
with gold leaf. The sacristy's
three large paintings, by 18th-
century artist José Eloy da
Conceição, portray scenes
from the life of the saint.

THE OLINDA CARNAVAL
Every year during Carnaval, the cobblestoned streets of
Olinda become the stage for a week-long street party.
The meeting place is the square, known as quarto
cantos (four corners), on the corner of Rua do Amparo
and Rua Prudente de Moraes. Here, blocos (neighbor-
hood groups) begin their parades through the streets,
playing music, singing, and dancing as they go. The
blocos often have themes or names such as “Virgins,”
“Elephant,” or “Midnight Man.” Dominating the festivities
are enormous papier-mâché puppets that bloco members
proudly carry along the parade route. The music varies
from frevo , an upbeat, almost frenetic beat unique to
Pernambuco, to maracatu , a much more African beat.

Revelers filling a street in Olinda, with
larger-than-life papier-mâché puppets

For hotels and restaurants in this region see p378-9 and p403-405