Founded in 1616 by theKingdom of Portugal, Belém was the firstEuropean colony on the Amazon but did not become part of Brazil until 1775. The newer part of the city has modern buildings andskyscrapers. The colonial portion retains the charm of tree-filledsquares,churches and traditional blue tiles. The city has a rich history and architecture from colonial times. Recently, it witnessed a skyscraper boom.
Belém is also known as theMetropolis of the Brazilian Amazon region or theCidade das Mangueiras (City ofMango Trees) due to the vast number of those trees found in the city. Brazilians often refer to the city asBelém do Pará ("Belém of Pará") rather than justBelém, a reference to an earlier name for the city,Santa Maria de Belém do Grão Pará ("Saint Mary of Bethlehem of Great Pará"), and also to differentiate it from a number of other towns called Belém in Brazil, as well as the city of Bethlehem in the West Bank of Palestine. It is named afterSanta Maria de Belém in Lisbon, also better known by its shortened name,Belém.
Belém is the Portuguese name forBethlehem, and has its origin inHebrew which means "the house of bread". Initially the city was called "St.Mary of Bethlehem of Pará" (Portuguese:Santa Maria de Belém do Pará) or "Our Lady of Bethlehem of Greater Pará" (Portuguese:Nossa Senhora de Belém do Grão Pará),[6][7] eventually shortened toBelém do Pará (name given byPhilip III of Spain),[8] in reference to Christmas; the day when captainFrancisco Caldeira Castelo Branco left from the city ofSão Luís in 1615 to conquer the lands ofPará.[7][9][10]
In 1615, Portuguese captain-generalFrancisco Caldeira Castelo Branco of the captaincy ofBahia commanded a military expedition sent by theGovernor General of Brazil to check the trading excursions of foreigners (French, Dutch, English) up the river (Amazon) from the Cabo do Norte in Grão Pará.
On January 12, 1616, he anchored in what is now known asGuajará Bay, formed by the confluence of the Para andGuamá Rivers, called by theTupinambás, "Guaçu Paraná". Caldeira mistook the bay for the main channel, and thirty leagues (178 km) upstream, he built a wooden fort, covered with straw, which he called "Presépio" (nativity scene), now known as "Forte do Castelo". The colony formed by the fort was given the name Feliz Lusitânia, "Fortunate Lusitania". It was the embryo of the future city of Belém. The fort failed to suppress Dutch and French trading, but did ward off colonization.
Feliz Lusitânia was later called Nossa Senhora de Belém do Grão Pará (Our Lady of Bethlehem of Grao-Para) and Santa Maria de Belém (St. Mary of Bethlehem). Belém was given city status in 1655 and was made capital of the State when Pará state was split off fromMaranhão in 1772. The early decades of the 19th century were marked by political instability. Uprisings and internecine strife finally ended in 1836, after considerable loss of life.[11]
Thesugar trade in the Belém region was important up to the end of the 17th century. Thereafter the city's economic importance alternately rose and fell. Cattle ranching supplanted sugar until the 18th century, when cultivation of rice, cotton and coffee became profitable. With the settlement ofsouthern Brazil, where such crops could be produced more efficiently, Belém declined again. The city subsequently became the main exporting centre of the Amazon rubber industry, and by 1866 its position was further enhanced by the opening of theAmazon,Tocantins andTapajós rivers to navigation. The importance of Belém was then somewhat reduced by the development of the Port ofManaus upriver. The rubber era ended after the boom of 1910–12, but Belém continued to be the main commercial centre of northern Brazil and theentrepôt for the Amazon valley.[12]
The municipality includes the islands ofMosqueiro, fringed by 14 freshwater beaches, and Caratateua which receive a large number of visitors in summertime. In addition to these and also near Belém, is the island of Tatuoca which is the location of one of the sevengeophysical stations in the world, and the only station inLatin America.
Belém has atropical rainforest climate (Köppen:Af)[13][14] more subject to theIntertropical Convergence Zone than the maritimetrade winds, and with nocyclones, that is a true equatorial climate. In all 12 months of the year, the city on average sees more than 60 mm of rainfall, so the city has no truedry season month. However, Belém features noticeably wetter and drier seasons. The wetter season spans from December through May, while the drier season covers the remaining six months of the year. Like many cities with a tropical rainforest climate, average temperatures vary little throughout the course of the year, generally hovering around 26.5 degrees Celsius. Due to its location in the Amazon, tropical rainforest is the natural vegetation in and around the city.[citation needed]
Climate data for Belém (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1961–present)
The Amazon represents more than half the planet's remaining rainforests and comprises the largest and most species-rich tract of tropical rainforest in the world. Wet tropical forests are the most species-richbiome, and tropical forests in the Americas are consistently more species rich than the wet forests in Africa and Asia.[26] As the largest tract of tropical rainforest in the Americas, the Amazonian rainforests have unparalleledbiodiversity. More than one-third of all species in the world live in the Amazon Rainforest.[27]
Many valuable products now exported from the Amazon by way of Belém arealuminium, iron ore, and other metals,[28] nuts (chieflyBrazil nuts), pineapples,cassava,jute, wood veneers, andhardwoods.Japanese immigration after the 1930s was an important factor in developingjute and black pepper, notably at Tomé-Açu, just south of Belém, and nearSantarém.[29]Marajó Island, the largestfluvial island in the world, which lies just across the Rio Pará from Belém, has some livestock grazing.[30] Electricity is provided by the massiveTucuruí Dam, some 300 km southwest of the city on the Tocantins River.[31]
According to theIBGE of 2018, there were 2,491,052 people residing in the Metropolitan Region of Belém. This region is composed by 7 cities: Belém (1,485.732 people), Ananindeua (525,566 people), Marituba (129,321 people), Benevides (61,689 people), Santa Bárbara do Pará (20,704 people), Santa Izabel do Pará (69,746 people), and Castanhal (198,294 people). In 2012, according to IBGE, the capital city itself had a population density of 1,337.2 inhabitants per square kilometre (3,463/sq mi). The last PNAD (National Research for Sample of Domiciles) census revealed the following numbers: 806,103Pardo (Multiracial) people (61.8%), 342,476White (26.3%), 149,395Black (11.5%), 3,298Asian people (0.3%) and 2,069Amerindian people (0.2%).[32]
According to an autosomal DNA genetic study from 2011, the ancestral composition of the population of Belém is: 68.6% European ancestry, followed by 20.9% Amerindian ancestry and 10.6% African ancestry.[33]
Portuguese is the official national language, and thus the primary language taught in schools. But English and Spanish are part of the official high school curriculum.
On the second Sunday in October, Pará celebrates the largest religious event in Brazil: theprocession of the Círio of Nazaré. This tradition started when a farmer and lumberman called Plácido José de Souza found an image of the Virgin and Child on the edge of the Murucutu creek, where theBasilica of Our Lady of Nazareth of Exile stands today. He decided to take the image home. However, the image would mysteriously go back to the place where it was initially found every time he took it home. So Plácido decided to build a smallchapel on the edge of the creek. This episode was regarded as miraculous throughout the region. It attracted hundreds of believers to see the image and pay homage to it.
Círio de Nazaré celebration.Círio de Nazaré in 2014.
Since then, the Círio has been celebrated as a long procession lasting around five hours, in which thousands of people follow the statue through the streets of Belém. The Círio festival is regarded as the "Christmas of the Amazon" because everyone is involved in the arrangements to receive the saint. In early September, minor celebrations take place as a spiritual preparation for the Círio, with thousands of images scattered all over the capital and neighboring cities.
In time it became necessary to incorporate new elements into the tradition due to the people's desire to honor their patron saint. On the Saturday morning prior to the Círio procession the statue is taken to the square ofAnanindeua, a nearby city, to begin a Road Pilgrimage to theIcoaraci pier for aMass. The river pilgrimage then begins. It was created to honor the "water men" who regard the Virgin of Nazareth as their patron saint. There is a traditional ship contest to award the most originally decorated boat. When the Sacred Image leaves Icoaraci in a NavyCorvette, it is followed by dozens of boats and ships through the waters of Guajará Bay to the pier of Belém, from where it is escorted all the way to the Gentil Bittencourt School. The subsequent candle-lit procession symbolizes the story of the discovery of the Saint and its return to where it was found. The procession follows the Carriage, to which a huge rope is tied, which is carried by the faithful until the procession arrives at the Sé Cathedral.
Santo Alexandre Church.
During the procession, there is afireworks show, sponsored by theStevedores' Union, marking the passage of the Saint until its arrival at theCathedral. At daybreak of the next day, the faithful start to gather at the Old City, believing that this will bring them closer to the Virgin. At 7 o'clock, thearchbishop conducts the image to the carriage as bells toll and fireworks explode. The main procession then goes through the streets of the city to the Architectonic Centre of Nazareth, known for its Sanctuary Square. As it arrives at the square, the image is removed from the carriage for the celebration of a Mass and then lifted so that everybody will be blessed by the patron saint of Pará.
The festivities last 15 days, with religious celebrations, like the Children's Círio, and its procession, held two Sundays after the Círio. The Re-Círio marks the end of the celebrations, with a shorter course back to the Gentil Bittencourt chapel.
Built in a 23,000-square-metre area, the Hangar Convention and Fair Center of the Amazon has 12 rooms, ticket offices, baggage keeping, press room, and afood court, distributed in two big buildings with a parking lot for 800 vehicles. Genuine Amazonian trees will soon be planted in the outdoor area. With Hangar, Belém joins the market for national conventions that take place in a different city each time, such as theBrazilian Computer Society Congress. National conventions had not been held in the Northern region previously.
Hangar, whose auditorium has room for 2,160 participants, has some of the best technologies available in the world and is the most modern and functional space for events in the country. According to the Brazilian Association of Convention and Fair Centers (ABRACCEF), there are 17,500 events happening on average throughout the 53 main convention and exhibition centres of Brazil. These activities bring together approximately 28 million participants. Belém has great potential for this type of tourism.
Thecolonial architecture Belém reflects the seventeenth-century architecture ofLisbon in Portugal, which served as the inspiration for the main housing projects of the time, with the frequent use of tile-hungfaçades. The Italian architect and artistGiuseppe Antonio Landi (1713 - 1791) arrived in Pará in 1753 as part of a technical commission, but was invited to stay by GovernorFrancisco Xavier de Mendonça Furtado, brother of the powerfulSebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, 1st Marquis of Pombal. Landi redesigned the urban plan of the city of Belém, and designing or modifying nearly all of the buildings of the period.[34]
Neoclassical architecture was introduced to Belém in the 19th century, as part of the larger trend in Brazil, and is also present in buildings such as theTheatro da Paz, built in 1874. TheAmazoninian rubber cycle brought great wealth to Belém in the late 19th and early 20th century. The intendentAntônio Lemos introduced numerous modernization projects in the city; the wealth élite of Belém built large town mansion, such as theBibi Costa Mansion, in theeclectic style, many based onFrench models and building techniques.[35]
The localAmerindian culture makes use of local ingredients to create the colors and flavors of its cuisine. One such ingredient, a fruit named "Cupuaçu", comes from theCupuaçu tree, found in the Amazonian forest. Cupuaçu is easily identified by its unique smell and sour taste. Its pulp is also extracted to make juices, candies, jellies, liquors, and ice cream.Açaí is a palm tree with a long, thin stem. The palm fruits from this tree are purple in color with a earthy and fruity taste. Long prized by the local population, it recently it has also reached the national menu.
The three main football teams inPará are based in Belém:Paysandu,Remo andTuna Luso. Paysandu based in São Braz, play at the 16,200 capacityEstádio da Curuzú, the oldest stadium of Pará state; Remo, based in Travessa Antônio Baena, play at the 17,250 capacityBaenão; and Tuna Luso-Brasileira based in Souza play at the much smaller 6,500Estádio Francisco Vasques. The latter stadium is currently the home ofClube Municipal Ananindeua who represent the very large suburb ofAnanindeua.
Belém has a modern appearance with tree-lined streets, several plazas and public gardens, and many noteworthy buildings. The north's leading educational and cultural centre, it is the seat of abishopric, and itscathedral (Igreja da Sé, founded in 1917) is one of Brazil's largest. Santo Alexandre, the oldest of Belém's churches, was built in 1616. The Museu (museum) ParaenseEmílio Goeldi, theTeatro da Paz (a classical theatre), and the public library and archives are other notable institutions. The Universidade Federal do Pará (1957), a teacher-training school, an agricultural institute, and an institute for research ontropical diseases are also in the city. The Ver-o-Peso (Portuguese: "see the weight") market in the old port centre is a major tourist attraction. The city is also home to a largefootball stadium, theEstádio Olímpico do Pará.
The municipality of Belém contains 99% of theUtinga State Park, created in 1993 to protect the metropolitan area's water supply.[37]The park provides a space for healthy activities in contact with nature by local people, visitors or tourists.[38]It is just a few kilometers from the city center.There are eight trails, all providing direct contact with various species of flora and fauna.The most popular is the monkey trail, which takes about 40 minutes and goes from Bolonha lake to the visitor center, where other activities are available.Visitors can also learn about the water treatment plant that supplies Belém.[39]
Located less than 15 kilometres (9.3 miles) from the center of Belém, in the Tenoné neighborhood, the Bioparque Amazônia Safari – Crocodilo Safari Zoo, is surrounded by forests, rivers and streams. Summary of the Amazon landscape with lush flora and fauna, the zoo has about 14 miles (23 kilometres) of trails in an area composed of four interconnected ecosystems.
The Museum of Paleontology and Malacology had a collection of three thousand pieces of exposed shells and mollusks collected from all continents.
Bioparque The Amazon is a private investment, owner Jorge Arthur Aarão Monteiro, authorized and licensed by IBAMA to function as C class zoo, the only category of Pará There are four different species of alligators in a population of thousands of individuals, highlighting açu for alligator, monkeys, anteaters, and the otters, hyacinth macaw, papagaios, tucannos, pacaranas, harpy eagle, among other animals.[40]Also see the city turistic website here.[41]
Inspired by theBois de Boulogne Park in Paris, theRodrigues Alves Wood is a little piece of Amazonia preserved in the middle of the city. Comprising 16hectares, in the ample AvenidaAlmirante Barroso, one of the city's busiest thoroughfares, having 2,500 native species, an orchidary, lakes, caverns, waterfalls and even a replica of a mountain. There you can see small animals characteristic to the region, such assquirrel monkeys,agoutis andmacaws.
The Estação das Docas Complex reopened the windows of Belém toGuajará Bay. The restoration project covers the area of old warehouses of the Pará Docks Company. Constructed from prefabricated metal structures in England and that were built at the beginning of the 20th century in Belém.[42]
Ver-o-Peso Public Market.
There are eighteen thousand square metres (193,750 square feet) of urbanised area, with coffee bar services, various restaurants, stores, travel agencies, banks, in addition to an auditorium and two memorials: The Porto Memorial and the Fortaleza deSão Pedro Nolasco Memorial There is also a fluvial station and extensive external area.
Created in 1688, as a result of the Portuguese deciding to levy a tax for everything entering and leaving Amazonia. Despite resembling a large retailer, the mixture of colours, fragrances and objects is very interesting as well as folkloric.
Medicinal herbs, various regional fruits, arts and crafts, domestic utilities, meats, fish and seasonings and spices can be found there. The Market brings together two thousand stalls and traders in every part and is located near to the old Mercado de Ferro (Iron market), on thequays.
Belém International Airport is the major airport serving the city of Belém. The building design usesplane curves on its roof to permit light to enter its entire large terminal hall.
The architectSérgio Parada used adopted multiple-use totems integrated with light projectors, a sound system, air conditioning, and public telephones. Currently Belém International Airport serves 2.7 million passengers a year, in a constructed area of 33,255.17 square metres (357,955.67 square feet).[44]
Traditionally called Belém Airport, it is responsible for increasing tourism in the Amazon region, as well as for the outflow of products and attracting new investments. The passenger terminal is fully air conditioned on two levels and has "futuristic" architecture, designed to take advantage of natural lighting. People with special needs have individualized service with own equipment at specific locations to facilitate their access. The terminal's interior is decorated with plants native to the Amazon region and is enclosed by a source able to imitate the sound of the rains that fall every day in the region.
Belém bus system.
There also used to exist a smallerBrig. Protásio de Oliveira Airport (Júlio César), also administrated by Infraero, which was used for general aviation, in January, 1st, 2022 it was taken out of service and the area it occupied is going to be turned into a park, its functions were transferred to the main Belém Airport.[45]
BR-316 is the major access highway for those coming from the Northeastern Brazil. For visitors from the Southern, Southeastern, and Mid-Eastern Regions, the best route isBR-010, which originates inBrasília in the South, and also PA-150, a route that links Belém to Southern Pará.
TheEF-151 railway, known as "Ferrovia Norte-Sul", literally meaning "North-South Railway", is being extended to run until the city ofBarcarena, that is about 111 km away by road.[46][47] When construction is finished, Barcarena will be linked with important cities, likeImperatriz,Porto Nacional,Anápolis andPanorama.[48]
Aeroporto • Ariramba • Baía do Sol • Bomfim • Carananduba • Caruará • Chapéu Virado • Farol • Mangueiras • Maracajá • Marahú • Murubira • Natal do Murubira • Paraíso • Porto Arthur • Praia Grande • São Francisco • Sucurijuquara • Vila
Outeiro (DAOUT)
4
Água Boa • Brasília • Itaiteua • São João do Outeiro
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^ab"Brasil, Pará, Belém, História". Enciclopédia dos Municípios Brasileiros. Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística. 2012. Retrieved2018-03-08.
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^"Insolação Total (horas)".Normais Climatológicas do Brasil 1991–2020 (in Portuguese). Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia. Archived fromthe original on 24 March 2022. Retrieved25 May 2024.
^Araujo, Renata Malcher de (2012)."Belém". Lisbon, Portugal: Heritage of Portuguese Influence/Património de Influência Portuguesa. Retrieved2025-07-11.
^Miranda, Cybelle; Carvalho, Ronaldo Marques de; Maneschy, Beatriz (2018)."Palacete Bibi Costa".A Casa Senhorial (in Portuguese). Lisbon: Instituto de História de Arte da FCSH/NOVA. Retrieved2024-03-01.
^Veríssimo, Adalberto; Santos, Daniel Conceição dos; Pereira, Jakeline Ramos (August 2013),Plano de Manejo do Parque Estadual do Utinga(PDF) (in Portuguese), Secretaria de Estado de Meio Ambiente (SEMA), p. 30,archived(PDF) from the original on 2018-10-20, retrieved2016-12-05
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