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The Historic Center of São Luís is located in São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil. The historic center is entirely located on the Island of São Luís in the bay of São Marcos.

The Historic Center differs from other colonial cities in Brazil in its quantity and density of sobrados, the Portuguese urban town house; and the largest collection of exterior azulejos in Brazil. While São Luís has an ensemble of churches, public spaces, and government buildings typical of other cities in Brazil; it is a rare example of a Portuguese colonial planned city in Brazil on a grid. IPHAN describes it as "an exceptional example of a Portuguese colonial city adapted to the climatic conditions of equatorial South America".

The original nucleus of São Luís, founded by the French in 1612, was located at the head of a peninsula at the confluence of the Bacanga and Anil rivers. Nothing form the French settlement remains. The Portuguese engineer Francisco Frias de Mesquita created a city plan based on the grid system in 1615 after the expulsion of the French, taking full advantage of the security of the port and access to fresh water and natural resources. De Mesquita's plan was followed by a strict buildings codes of Portuguese authorities, uncommon to Brazil in the colonial period. São Luís was occupied and damaged during the Dutch occupation of Northeaster Brazil, but its urban fabric remained unchanged and there are few remains of the Dutch occupation. Urbanization accelerated in São Luís in the 18th and 19th centuries. The city maintained the original 1615 layout in this period, but spread far beyond the Historic Center.

The Historic Center was strictly divided along social and racial lines in the Portuguese Colonial and Brazilian Imperial period. A strong local culture, however, emerged in the Historic Center in this period, giving rise to a rich tradition of music, dance, folklore, customs, and syncretic religious festivals that remain unique to São Luís.

Limits

The UNESCO protected zone of the historic center spans Xha, and includes approximately 3,500 individual historic properties. The protected zone of the State of Maranhão spans a wider Xha, with approximately 1400 historic properties.

Architecture

The hot, humid climate of São Luís gave rise to architectural characteristics such as "L" or "U" shaped buildings, which allow internal ventilation; azulejos were used not only for decorative purposes, but to waterproof rammed earth façades; large roofs and shutters provided additional protection from the sun.

The large residential ensemble of São Luís spans from small homes to a four-story sobrados. Single-story houses ranged from a half house with side door and windows to a full house with a door flanked by two windows. The sobrados consist of two or more stories. Many multi-story sobrados have a ground floor for commercial use with a residence above. They are also characterized by their rich building details, tiling, and ironwork, which was added in the 19th century. Sobrados across the historic center have a mirante, or small belevedere that was used as sleeping quarters for sleep, ventilation, and views of the surrounding city.

Sobrados and small residences

The design of sobrados and colonial-period residences reflect the strict social and racial segregation of colonial São Luís. The ground floor was open to commerce and visitors; the upper floors were reserved for private use by the family. Slave quarters in sobrados were located in primitive basements, and in fewer cases, the attic.

Religious architecture

Catholic religious orders arrived early in successive French and Portuguese colonial periods. The Capuchins built a church and primitive hermitage in São Luís, but it, like other buildings of the French period, has been lost. The Jesuits, Carmelites, and Franciscans entered São Luís through the first Portuguese colony in the Brazil, its colony after French occupation, and the colony after Dutch occupation. The brotherhoods built churches and convents similar to those of others in Brazil; parish churches followed. Catholic orders continued to enter São Luís after the Independence of Brazil in 1822, occupying spaces abandoned by earlier orders or constructing new churches and schools.

Church architecture in São Luís followed that of other colonial cities in Brazil. The urban density of São Luís, however, resulted in monumental churches placed within the fabric of long, narrow streets. Some have only modest or no church yard due to space constraints in the historic center. Numerous churches from the colonial period survive, most in a late baroque style.

The Carmelites and Mercedarians built large-scale convents. Most fell into ruin, were converted to schools, or now exist as cultural centers.

Cathedral of Saint Louis, the Episcopal Palace, the Carmo Convent, the Convento das Mercês

Cemeteries

Small-scale cemeteries were placed by the Catholic orders and the Holy House of Mercy in the Portuguese colonial period. Population growth, epidemics, and advances in sanitation required that larger planned cemeteries. Burials within church floors was also banned in the mid-19th century, but persisted into the 20th century. The placement of corpses in shallow church floors in the hot climate of São Luís over decades or centuries created both unpleasant smells and spread disease. The explosion of a grave within a church after a burial was especially unwelcomed.

As in other parts of Brazil, municipal and larger church cemeteries were initially unpopular. A wealthy elite class appeared in São Luís in the Imperial period; they had frequent contact with European art trends, and soon added a rich collection of funerary art to cemeteries in the historic center.

São Luís opened to international trade after the departure of the Portuguese. The first Protestant cemetery opened in 18XX; it was joined by others in the 18th and 19th century. A Jewish cemetery opened in 18/19XX.

, Casa das Tulhas, Igreja do Rosário, Igreja do Desterro, Casa das Minas, Casa de Nagô, Fonte do Ribeirão, Fonte das Pedras, Teatro Artur Azevedo and many others.

Government buildings

Among the historical buildings to be highlighted are the Palácio dos Leões (seat of the state government), the Palácio de La Ravardière (seat of the city hall)

Commercial and port structures

Sobrados were not limited to residential use. Many were used as storefronts, workshops, and small warehouses. The X is a notable example of a sobrado used as a slave auction house, placed prominently on Rua facing both the Carmelite monastery and located close to the port area.

Folk culture

• bumba-meu-boi
• tambor de crioula