Valença, Bahia
Encyclopedia
Valença is a Brazilian municipality in the state of Bahia and has an estimated population of 82.000. It is visited by tourists because it is the main access to the island of Tinharé, famous for the town of Morro de São Paulo
.
and a dynamic commercial and service center of the region. Famous for its shrimp, Valença has a quay in the port lined by lovely colonial style
16th century buildings, like the Town Hall, the sobrados, and warehouses. Valença offers rich historical patrimony that lives in harmony with the picturesque boats on the River Una
that divides the city. Three bridges link both sides of the city.
Although Valença has been virtually ignored by its government, its people, affordable lodging and land, decent basic infrastructure and proximity to the most beautiful beaches and cities in Bahia (Salvador, Morro de São Paulo, Gamboa, Boipeba, Itaparica, etc.) make it a very worthwhile holiday location.
Valença was the first industrial center in Brazil, with cotton textile mills
and other industries. It is also known for its natural resource
s, including the 15 km of beaches in Guaibim, the Candengo waterfalls, the Ponta do Curral and the River Una with its mangroves.
, King of Portugal divided Brazil in 1534 into huge estates (called, capitanias hereditárias), the area of Valença belonged to the Ilhéus estate under the jurisdiction of Vila de Nossa Senhora do Rosário
de Cairu, location where the first populace was established.
People settled on the margins of the river Una in their farms of sugar cane
and fodder. Apart from these"civilized" settlers, there was also a small village of sugar mills that belonged to a man called Sebastião de Pontes. This violent tempered yet honest man, who was accustomed to wars and fighting and disdained anyone who would contradict or offend him, had taken sides against the indigenous people. At around 1573, a peddler arrived in the sugar mill
dared to offend of Sebastião de Pontes, who immediately ordered the intruder be whipped and marked with a hot iron.
It has been told that this peddler, once in Portugal, managed to present himself before the King when he was walking to Mass. The peddler dropped his cloak and revealed the mark on his back, crying for justice. Orders were immediately sent to the capital of Brazil for Sebastião de Pontes to be imprisoned and sent back to Lisbon. The royal government went to Morro de São Paulo in a war ship. The commander of the ship tricked Sebastião de Pontes into boarding the ship and, during lunch, imprisoned him and sent him back to Portugal. He died in a prison in Limoeiro and, with his disappearance, Una lost the only man that had brought so much prosperity. From then on, invaded by the violent Aymores Indians, progress shrunk and colonization of Valença stopped for many years. After the bloody retaliations of the bandeirantes of João Amaro Maciel Parente, the location was finally able to progress, justifying the proposal for the creation of a village in the populace of Una. On the 23rd of January, 1799, the Vila de Nova
Valença do Santíssimo Coração de Jesus was created, with territory taken from the municipality of Cairu.
At this time, the extraction of wood began used for the building of royal army
ships and the deforested area was then occupied by farm activities, mostly cassava (mandioca), rice, coffee, black pepper
and cinnamon.
The inhabitants of the neighboring islands that lived in constant confrontation with the Indians and were therefore unable to plant, slowly returned to the area, which was already establishing a population nucleus in the areas surrounding the Nossa Senhora do Amparo chapel. The name Valença was attributed by these newcomers for which the location represented a solution to their problems, Land of Valença, of salvation. Another version says that the name came from counselor Baltasar da Silva Lisboa who wished to pay homage to minister Marques de Valença, subsequently granting the populace the state of village on the 10th of June, 1789, naming it Nova Valença.
At around this time, construction of the church Santíssimo Coração de Jesus began.
In 1849, the municipal area received the title of city, named Industrial Cidade Valença.
Other interesting historical facts
The region suffered under the Dutch invasion in Bahia in 1624 and actively participated in the battles for the independence of Bahia.
It harbored the fleet of Lord Cochrane
, who came to fight the Portuguese in 1823. The role of the city in this battle was so impressive that it received the title of "the decided one" as stated in the city's anthem.
, Valença also participated when the German submarines
bombarded the ships Itajiba e Irará at its coast. The passengers were saved by the Araripe barge and the wounded were taken to the improvised hospital in the building of the Textile Workers Syndicate, a building with French design and neoclassical architecture
. This same building was also the first blood bank of the region. For its active participation, Valença received the title of "city of hospitality".
Determined, peaceful and friendly, Valença currently has the main shipyards of Bahia, where ships, barges, sailboats, schooners and even caravels are built, like the copy of the Niña, from the fleet of Christopher Columbus
for the film: 1492: Conquest of Paradise
, by Ridley Scott
.
Morro de São Paulo
Morro de São Paulo is one of 5 villages of the island Tinharé in Bahia, Brazil, 272 km from the city of Salvador by route and 60 km by sea...
.
The town
Valença is the largest city in the Dendê Coast (costa do dendê), but it is also a placid 16th century colonial fishing townFishing town
Fishing Town or Fishing City , is one of the three great ancient battlefields of China. It is famous for its resistance to the Mongol armies in the latter half of the Song Dynasty...
and a dynamic commercial and service center of the region. Famous for its shrimp, Valença has a quay in the port lined by lovely colonial style
Colonial house
American colonial architecture includes several building design styles associated with the colonial period of the United States, including First Period English , French Colonial, Spanish Colonial, Dutch Colonial, German Colonial and Georgian Colonial...
16th century buildings, like the Town Hall, the sobrados, and warehouses. Valença offers rich historical patrimony that lives in harmony with the picturesque boats on the River Una
Una River (Bahia)
The Una River is a river of Bahia state in eastern Brazil. It is a small river that starts in Serra Geral and flows near Iramaia before discharging into the Paraguaçu River....
that divides the city. Three bridges link both sides of the city.
Although Valença has been virtually ignored by its government, its people, affordable lodging and land, decent basic infrastructure and proximity to the most beautiful beaches and cities in Bahia (Salvador, Morro de São Paulo, Gamboa, Boipeba, Itaparica, etc.) make it a very worthwhile holiday location.
Valença was the first industrial center in Brazil, with cotton textile mills
Cotton mill
A cotton mill is a factory that houses spinning and weaving machinery. Typically built between 1775 and 1930, mills spun cotton which was an important product during the Industrial Revolution....
and other industries. It is also known for its natural resource
Natural resource
Natural resources occur naturally within environments that exist relatively undisturbed by mankind, in a natural form. A natural resource is often characterized by amounts of biodiversity and geodiversity existent in various ecosystems....
s, including the 15 km of beaches in Guaibim, the Candengo waterfalls, the Ponta do Curral and the River Una with its mangroves.
The History of Valença
The territory in which the municipality of Valença is located, at the time of the discovery of Brazil, was inhabited by peaceful Tupiniquim Indians. When Don João IIIJohn III of Portugal
John III , nicknamed o Piedoso , was the fifteenth King of Portugal and the Algarves. He was the son of King Manuel I and Maria of Aragon, the third daughter of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile...
, King of Portugal divided Brazil in 1534 into huge estates (called, capitanias hereditárias), the area of Valença belonged to the Ilhéus estate under the jurisdiction of Vila de Nossa Senhora do Rosário
Nossa Senhora do Rosário
Nossa Senhora do Rosário, Portuguese for Our Lady of the Rosary, may also refer to the following places:*Nossa Senhora do Rosário, a civil parish on the island of São Miguel, Azores, Portugal...
de Cairu, location where the first populace was established.
People settled on the margins of the river Una in their farms of sugar cane
Sugarcane
Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...
and fodder. Apart from these"civilized" settlers, there was also a small village of sugar mills that belonged to a man called Sebastião de Pontes. This violent tempered yet honest man, who was accustomed to wars and fighting and disdained anyone who would contradict or offend him, had taken sides against the indigenous people. At around 1573, a peddler arrived in the sugar mill
Sugar beet
Sugar beet, a cultivated plant of Beta vulgaris, is a plant whose tuber contains a high concentration of sucrose. It is grown commercially for sugar production. Sugar beets and other B...
dared to offend of Sebastião de Pontes, who immediately ordered the intruder be whipped and marked with a hot iron.
It has been told that this peddler, once in Portugal, managed to present himself before the King when he was walking to Mass. The peddler dropped his cloak and revealed the mark on his back, crying for justice. Orders were immediately sent to the capital of Brazil for Sebastião de Pontes to be imprisoned and sent back to Lisbon. The royal government went to Morro de São Paulo in a war ship. The commander of the ship tricked Sebastião de Pontes into boarding the ship and, during lunch, imprisoned him and sent him back to Portugal. He died in a prison in Limoeiro and, with his disappearance, Una lost the only man that had brought so much prosperity. From then on, invaded by the violent Aymores Indians, progress shrunk and colonization of Valença stopped for many years. After the bloody retaliations of the bandeirantes of João Amaro Maciel Parente, the location was finally able to progress, justifying the proposal for the creation of a village in the populace of Una. On the 23rd of January, 1799, the Vila de Nova
De Nova
De Nova is the second album by Chicago-based rock band The Redwalls, released in the United States on June 21, 2005 through Capitol Records. Produced by Rob Schnapf , De Nova was the first album the band released on Capitol since initially signing with the label in 2003...
Valença do Santíssimo Coração de Jesus was created, with territory taken from the municipality of Cairu.
At this time, the extraction of wood began used for the building of royal army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
ships and the deforested area was then occupied by farm activities, mostly cassava (mandioca), rice, coffee, black pepper
Black pepper
Black pepper is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit, known as a peppercorn when dried, is approximately in diameter, dark red when fully mature, and, like all drupes, contains a single seed...
and cinnamon.
The inhabitants of the neighboring islands that lived in constant confrontation with the Indians and were therefore unable to plant, slowly returned to the area, which was already establishing a population nucleus in the areas surrounding the Nossa Senhora do Amparo chapel. The name Valença was attributed by these newcomers for which the location represented a solution to their problems, Land of Valença, of salvation. Another version says that the name came from counselor Baltasar da Silva Lisboa who wished to pay homage to minister Marques de Valença, subsequently granting the populace the state of village on the 10th of June, 1789, naming it Nova Valença.
At around this time, construction of the church Santíssimo Coração de Jesus began.
In 1849, the municipal area received the title of city, named Industrial Cidade Valença.
Other interesting historical facts
The region suffered under the Dutch invasion in Bahia in 1624 and actively participated in the battles for the independence of Bahia.
It harbored the fleet of Lord Cochrane
Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald
Admiral Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald, 1st Marquess of Maranhão, GCB, ODM , styled Lord Cochrane between 1778 and 1831, was a senior British naval flag officer and radical politician....
, who came to fight the Portuguese in 1823. The role of the city in this battle was so impressive that it received the title of "the decided one" as stated in the city's anthem.
WWII
During the Second World WarWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Valença also participated when the German submarines
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
bombarded the ships Itajiba e Irará at its coast. The passengers were saved by the Araripe barge and the wounded were taken to the improvised hospital in the building of the Textile Workers Syndicate, a building with French design and neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
. This same building was also the first blood bank of the region. For its active participation, Valença received the title of "city of hospitality".
Determined, peaceful and friendly, Valença currently has the main shipyards of Bahia, where ships, barges, sailboats, schooners and even caravels are built, like the copy of the Niña, from the fleet of Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the...
for the film: 1492: Conquest of Paradise
1492: Conquest of Paradise
1492: Conquest of Paradise is an epic 1992 European adventure/drama film directed by Ridley Scott and written by Roselyne Bosch, which tells the story of the discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus and the effect this had on the indigenous people...
, by Ridley Scott
Ridley Scott
Sir Ridley Scott is an English film director and producer. His most famous films include The Duellists , Alien , Blade Runner , Legend , Thelma & Louise , G. I...
.