Remember the name Morro do Castelo because this place is a silent witness to Rio’s tumultuous past. This spot was once a strategic hill. It oversaw the city’s birth and then vanished from the map.
Morro do Castelo is more than just a name. It represents the very genesis of Rio de Janeiro. Imagine this hill in 1567. It was chosen to reinstall the city after the French were expelled. Before becoming Morro do Castelo, it was known as Morro do Descanso. It was also called Alto da Sé and Alto de São Sebastião.
The location was strategic. From here, one could watch Villegagnon Island. That is where the French were. This allowed for a strong defense against future invasions. The Guanabara Bay was visible. It was the city’s entrance.
Rio de Janeiro rose on Morro do Castelo. It was a fortified city. There was the Casa da Câmara e da Cadeia. Also here was the Casa do Governador. You would find the Colégio dos Jesuítas. The Igreja dos Jesuítas and the Igreja de São Sebastião were also here. The first Sé Catedral was located here. The city’s founding stone marker was moved here too. It came from the original settlement at the foot of Morro Cara de Cão. The remains of Rio’s founder, Estácio de Sá, were also moved here.
Life expanded beyond Morro do Castelo. People occupied nearby areas. These flatlands lay between the Morro de São Bento, Morro de Santo Antônio, and Morro da Conceição. They were called “várzea”. These defined Rio de Janeiro during colonial times.
Plans to demolish Morro do Castelo existed long ago. Dom João VI’s reign saw discussions about its problems. The hill hindered wind circulation. It blocked the free flow of water.
In 1838, military engineers Conrado Niemeyer and Pedro Bellegarde proposed leveling the Morro. They envisioned noble buildings replacing it. They said that sailors entering Brazil’s capital would see the city. Now the hill obscures the view.
Small demolitions occurred for land reclamation. Then in 1921, Mayor Carlos Sampaio completely destroyed Morro do Castelo. He faced criticism from intellectuals. He argued that the area was unhealthy. It had old houses and tenements. The city was preparing for the Centennial International Exposition. Removing the Morro was necessary.
Mauricio de Abreu noted the need for haste. Rio would host many tourists. Therefore, the reform was urgent. Carlos Sampaio defended his actions. He wrote a book. It justified loans and negotiations related to the Morro’s destruction.
Marly Silva da Motta described the arguments. Sanitation advocates highlighted the evils of the “infected heap”. They cited reports of poor ventilation and humidity. They mentioned the floods of 1811. Belisário Pena praised Sampaio’s decree. He called it scientific proof of the need to eliminate the “red earth cyst”. The press called it a tumor obstructing Rio.
The city was born on that hill. Ironically, its memory was erased for modern urbanism. Some believe the action disrespected national memory. The demolition took about two years from 1920 to 1922. It destroyed the geographical space. It erased the architectural and artistic heritage.
The Morro’s land was used for the Urca area. It also served for the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon. The land went to the Botanical Garden. It was used for low areas around Guanabara Bay. The area now includes Santos Dumont Airport. Machado de Assis wrote about people who never visited Morro do Castelo.
Today, only the 30-meter Ladeira da Misericórdia remains. It is a vestige of the past. Some still wonder about hidden treasures beneath Rio’s center. The Morro do Castelo may be gone. However, its story remains woven into Rio’s identity.