Time travelling to the 18th century is possible here at the Ruínas Fazenda Von Mocke. Imagine the Serra dos Pretos Forros. It divides suburbs from the Jacarepaguá region. Its name came about in the 1700s. Freed slaves settled here. They cleared the land and built homes. These homes grew into a farm. It was called “a roça dos pretos forros”.
The Serra dos Pretos Forros was also named Serra do Matheus. This was because of the Fazenda da Boa Vista. Matheus José Nunes owned it. It faced the Vale dos Três Rios. The south slope has a dense forest. The old Caminho dos Três Rios passed through here. It linked Jacarepaguá and Boca do Mato. Later, the Estrada Grajaú-Jacarepaguá used it. The north slope has large deforested areas. Grassland with scattered thickets is common. Altitudes range from 200 to 483 meters.
Part of it became the Setor Pretos Forros-Covanca. This happened by Federal Decree Law in June 2004. It is included in the Parque Nacional da Tijuca. The Floresta dos Pretos Forros lies on the Serra dos Pretos Forros’ south side. It faces the Estrada Grajaú – Jacarepaguá. It is part of the Parque Nacional da Tijuca. Specifically, it is in Sector D – Pretos Forros / Covanca. This area is well-preserved. It has dense forest cover and is hard to access.
The name comes from the 18th century. Freed slaves settled here. They cleared the forest and built houses. These houses expanded into a farm. It was called “a roça dos pretos forros”. This farm was on the north slope of the Serra dos Pretos Forros.
In 1961, the Maciço da Tijuca became a National Park. It was named Parque Nacional do Rio de Janeiro. It covered 33 km². Six years later, in 1967, the name changed. It became Parque Nacional da Tijuca. In 2004, a Federal Decree expanded the park. It now included Parque Lage, Serra dos Pretos Forros, and Morro da Covanca.
The Parque Nacional da Tijuca celebrated its 62nd anniversary. In 2022, it had a record number of visitors. There were 3,532,778 visitors. This beat the year of the Rio Olympics in 2016. Viviane Pacheco is the head of the Parque Nacional da Tijuca. She noted the park’s tourist potential. After easing health restrictions, more visitors came. They came from Brazil and the world.
In 1861, the forests of Tijuca and Paineiras were declared protected. D. Pedro II made this declaration. The goal was to reforest and allow natural regeneration. Major Manuel Gomes Archer was tasked with reforestation. He started with six slaves. He also had foremen, managers, and paid workers. They began the reforestation work. In just 13 years, over 100,000 trees were planted. Most were species from the Mata Atlântica.
The Barão d’Escragnolle replaced Major Archer. He continued reforestation efforts. He also started landscaping for public use. The French landscaper Auguste Glaziou coordinated this. The forest became a beautiful park. It had nooks, leisure areas, fountains, and lakes. Escragnolle moved to the forest. He lived where the Restaurante dos Esquilos is today. He loved nature. He made the area a place for walks. It still kept its wild beauty. The avenue of eucalyptus trees remains from this work. Natural regeneration helped create the forest we see today.
Gastão Luís Henrique de Robert d’Escragnolle was of French-Brazilian origin. He died in Rio de Janeiro in 1886. He was a military man. He assisted the Duque de Caxias. He left the military as a lieutenant-colonel. He dedicated himself to public administration. He was a friend of Dom Pedro II. He was invited to design the Floresta da Tijuca. He beautified it and made it famous in the city.
The Gruta de Paulo e Virginia and its surroundings were enhanced by the Barão de Escragnolle. This included the Fonte Humaitá. The grotto’s name comes from characters in a novel he liked. The Mirante Excelsior and its path were also improved by the Barão. The Mirante was originally built during his management. It was between 1874 and 1887. It was renovated under Castro Maya between 1943 and 1947. The Fonte Pirajá was also built by Escragnolle. It is about 800 meters from the Gruta Paulo e Virgínia. It looks like a stone block with water flowing into a basin.
He also created the first trail to Pico da Tijuca in 1853. In 1885, the Barão marked the path for visitors. The natural heritage is well-known in the Parque. But its occupation over four centuries created a historical-cultural legacy. This legacy is important to preserve. As you wander through the Ruínas Fazenda Von Mocke, remember the hands that toiled here. Imagine the lives of freed slaves. Picture the vision of those who sought to restore and beautify this land.