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São Luís Historical Center |
Even founded by frenchs, São Luís is not considered the "most portuguese"
of the brazilian cities aimlessly. After all, there are more than 4000 historical buildings, dated from the 18th and 19th century, covered with
hand painted portuguese glazed. What formerly protected the houses from the heat, now gives a special coloring to the streets.
Otherwise, the fact that the streets still keep their original draft, dated from the
middle of the 17th century, cooperates to give an old fashioned look to São Luís. The big houses of the historical center are well preserved, a
decisive point to make the city Mankaind Cultural Patrimony by UNESCO, besides being protected by Instituto do Patrimônio Histórico e Artístico
Brasileiro - IPHAN.
The European influence of portugueses, frenchs and dutchs allied with the
afro-american and Indian culture contributed very much to the people cultural identity. The local craftsmanship expresses nicely this mix, through
typical pieces. The regional food is made with sea food and exotic spices. At São Luís, the "arroz-de-cuxá" accompanied with fruit
sweets is worth trying.
At São Luís, it’s also common to hear stories about enchanted serpents and other
fantastic legends, created by the fertile imagination of the people of Maranhão, who still uses all this creativity to organize festivals. At
carnival, typical characters of the local folklore, like Fofões and Cruz-Diabo, are incorporated to the party. During June, “quermesses” and
folkloric dances give space to Bumba-Meu-Boi and its different rhythms.
Beside the traditional beats of the folkloric dances, other rhythm extremelly
appreciated in São Luís is the reggae. There are many clubs that promotes parties with the jamaican sound as the main rhythm.
Culture aside, nature was also generous with the region. The city is 400km away
from Parque Nacional dos Lençóis Maranhenses, where sand dunes are intermingled by fresh water lakes. Those who can’t prolong the trip that much
don’t get disappointed with the seaside of the São Luís, which, although not gorgeous, are excellent for swimming.
Basic Information:
DDD: 98
Inhabitants: 870.028
Fuse Time: - 3 GMT
Local Holidays:
Jun/29 - Day of São Pedro
Jul/28 - Maranhão State aderes to Brazil’s Independence
Sep/08 - Anniversary of São Luís |
Presentation
