Introduction
Recife and Olinda stand within sight of each other on Brazil's Northeast coast, one city on a hilltop, the other in a river mouth, one founded by the Portuguese, the other by the Dutch.
Recife, in keeping with the commercial character of its Dutch founders, is busy, flat, efficient. Modern. Recife is the second-largest city in Brazil's Northeast, and aside from a small but pretty historical core, it's not really worth a visit, at least not in comparison with Salvador or São Luis.
Then there's Olinda. Founded by the Portuguese in 1530 on a steep hill overlooking the harbor, Olinda grew rich and proud on sugar exports. The Dutch at the time were keen to move in on the sugar business, so after trying (and failing) to take Salvador in 1624, they arrived in Pernambuco in 1630, took its capital, Olinda, and with the exception of a few churches, utterly destroyed it. In need of a capital of their own, the Dutch abandoned the ruins of Olinda, and set to work draining and diking...
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Capela Dourada
The Golden Chapel is aptly named. The altar is a two-story arch of jacaranda and cedar, all gilt with gold. Christ hangs on a golden cross with...
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Casa da Cultura
This former penitentiary has only barely changed since its prison days; the cells, still with their original numbers, are now occupied by souvenir...
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Centro Cultural Judaico de Pernambuco/Kahal Zur Israel Synagogue
This reconstructed synagogue is built on the foundations of the original Kahal Zur Israel synagogue, built in the 1640s when Recife was ruled by...
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