A personal selection of photographs with their stories.
355: Estácio de Sá monument
The region of Rio de Janeiro was discovered by the Portuguese on the first day of 1502. But it took more than six decades before the city of Rio de Janeiro (São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro) was founded by Estácio de Sá, who was in charge to make an end to the French occupation of the region. The founding date is the first of March 1565. In the decisive battle against the French and their indigenous allies, on 20 January 1567, he was hit in the eye by a poisoned arrow and died one month later. When the city wanted to honor Estácio at the celebration of the fourth centenary of Rio, people asked openly why there was no statue of the City’s founder. They tried to obtain an image of Estácio, but failed. Instead, a triangular obelisk was created by architect Lucio Costa, with a large room at the base of this obelisk. The monument is located at Aterro do Flamengo, along the Guanabara Bay.
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2012, 2017
Adriano Antoine 