Imagine Rio de Janeiro’s landscape dotted with mountains. We are standing before one of these mountains today: Morro do Dezoito. It rises 254 meters above the city.
Morro do Dezoito is located in the Serra do Inácio Dias. This mountain lies between the neighborhoods of Piedade and Quintino Bocaiúva.
This mountain has undergone a successful reforestation project on its slopes. It demonstrates a commitment to environmental recovery.
Now, the name Morro do Dezoito might sound a bit unusual. The name connects to the favela. The favela is formed by the Morros do 18, Fazendinha and Granja. Favelas are Brazilian slums that have arisen over the years in most of the country’s major cities. Especially those in Rio de Janeiro have become world famous over the years.
The origins of Rio’s favelas trace back to the late 19th century. Socioeconomic shifts began to swell the city’s central area. The first favela is believed to have emerged in 1897 on Morro de Santo Antônio. However, the oldest favela in the country is located on Morro da Providência. Soldiers from the War of Canudos started living there.
Favelas in Rio de Janeiro distinguish themselves from those in the rest of Brazil. They are more populous. There is a predominance of favelas with more than a thousand homes. There is also the emergence of so-called favela complexes. These are clusters of several subnormal settlements close to each other.
In mid-19th century social transformations triggered phenomena. These included the decline of coffee production in the Paraíba Valley. There was also the abolition of slavery. The beginning of the development of the industrial process in the country brought many former slaves and Europeans to Brazil.
The city’s demographic growth swelled its central area. This area traditionally concentrated various tenements. The then mayor of the city, Cândido Barata Ribeiro, began the persecution of this type of housing. This culminated in the demolition of the tenement “Cabeça de Porco” in 1893.
The eviction process displaced about 2,000 people. A group of former tenement residents obtained permission to build their houses on Morro da Providência. Another group of soldiers received permission to build homes on Morro de Santo Antônio. This gave rise to the first clusters. These clusters would later be called “favelas”.
In 1897, about 20,000 soldiers returned to Rio de Janeiro after the War of Canudos. They began living on the already inhabited Morro da Providência. During the conflict, the government troops had stayed in the region near a hill called “Favela”. “Favela” is the name of a resistant plant of the family Euphorbiaceae.
The plant caused irritation when it came into contact with human skin. It was common in the region. The plant was of the species Cnidoscolus quercifolius. It was called the “faveleira” tree. Because it had housed people who had fought in that conflict, Morro da Providência was nicknamed “Morro da Favela”. The name became popular. From the 1920s onwards, hills covered with shacks and shanties came to be called favelas.
Today, Morro do Dezoito stands as more than just a geographical point. It is a testament to resilience and recovery. It shows how communities can transform landscapes. It is a reminder of Rio’s complex history. This history is woven into the very fabric of the city.