Nova Belford Roxo

On a sweltering summer day in Rio de Janeiro in 1888, a crisis gripped the city. A severe drought had left the Cariocas parched and desperate. The Imperial government seemed helpless. Protests erupted. Nova Belford Roxo’s future identity was intertwined with this moment of crisis. The solution came from a brilliant engineer, Paulo de Frontin, aided by his close friend and collaborator, Raimundo Teixeira Belfort Roxo. Frontin boldly promised to deliver 15 million liters of water to the city in just six days. A seemingly impossible feat. He and Belfort Roxo, along with their team, worked tirelessly against political pressure and even physical threats. They channeled water from the Tinguá River in the Serra do Comércio mountains through pipelines laid alongside the Rio D’Ouro railway. Against all odds, they succeeded. The “Miracle of the Waters” became a legend. Sadly, just a year later, Raimundo Teixeira Belfort Roxo passed away. To honor his contribution, the small village of Brejo, after bearing several names throughout its history, was renamed Nova Belford Roxo. The area’s history, however, stretches back much further, to the early 17th century. A sugar mill, Engenho de Santo Antônio de Jacutinga, stood on the land that would become Nova Belford Roxo. It was a bustling hub with a port on the Sarapuí River, facilitating trade between the court and surrounding farms. Over time, the land was divided, giving rise to new settlements and industries. The arrival of the Rio D’Ouro railway further transformed the region. Nova Belford Roxo, once a quiet farming area, became a vital part of Rio de Janeiro’s infrastructure. This legacy continues today. Nova Belford Roxo is now a major municipality in the Baixada Fluminense.