Historic places in Recife

Historic places in Recife

1. Eat

   Famiglia Giuliano

   Italian restaurant in a replica of a medieval castle. On Wednesday and Saturday they serve a feijoada buffet.

   daily 11:30-01:00

2. See

   Joaquim Nabuco Palace

   Assembléia Legislativa do Estado de Pernambuco

   Seat of the Pernambuco State Legislature, built in 1874. A historical documents collection can be visited in the annex building.

3. Buy

   Mercado de São José

   A 1871 project of architect J. Louis Liethier and engineer Louis Léger Vauthier. Iron structure was inspired in the Grenelle Market in Paris, France. Historically, the market played an important role as a meeting place for street magicians, musicians, acrobats and the like. You can still find traditional handicrafts, regional food, medicinal herbs and Cordel Literature.

4. See

   Military Museum Brum Fortress

   Museu Militar Forte do Brum

   Military museum in a fort, displaying military equipment from colonial times up to WWII.

5. See

   Museum of Natural History Louis Jacques Brunet

   Museu de História Natural Louis Jacques Brunet

   Created in 1861, it is one of the first natural history museums in Latin America. Located at Ginásio Pernambucano. Collection spans archeology, botany, geology and zoology.

6. See

   Museum of the Archeological, Historic and Geographic Institute of Pernambuco

   Museu do Instituto Arqueológico, Histórico e Geográfico de Pernambuco

   The oldest museum in Brazil, established in 1866. It has extensive collections about the history of Pernambuco from prehistoric to colonial times.

   Mon-Fri 13:00-17:00, Sat 08:00-12:00

7. See

   Parque Theater

   Teatro do Parque

   Constructed in 1915, Parque Theater is one of the three oldest, historic theaters in Recife. Modern and traditional plays from Spanish and Portuguese playwrights of the 17th-21st centuries are performed at the theater. Next door is the Cineteatro do Parque, Recife's oldest cinemas. Because Recife's municipal government, tickets are subsidized and cost only pennies!

8. Buy

   Paço Alfândega

   A visit to Paço Alfândega is highly recommended. Paço Alfândega (Customs' Palace in Portuguese) is a comfortable, modern shopping mall set in the renovated structure of a colonial customs house building from the early 1700s, during which Recife was the largest port in the Americas. There is a permanent historic exhibition on the history of Recife and the customs building. The mall also houses one of Recife's main nightclubs and some good restaurants. You can have a good view of the Capibaribe River and its bridges from the main terrace.

   Mon-Sat 10:00-22:00, Sun 12:00-20:00

9. See Not mapped

   Museum of the Northeastern Man

   Museu do Homem do Nordeste

   Part of the Fundação Joaquim Nabuco. This fantastic museum depicts the various folk arts, traditions, and history of Northeast Brazil. The displays are divided among three sections, focusing on sugar, folk arts, and anthropology. It's in the suburbs, but well worth the ride out.

   Tue-Fri 08:30-17:00; Sat Sun 13:00-17:00; closed Jan 1, Carnaval, Mar 6, Good Fri, Jun 24, Dec 25

10. See Not mapped

    Museum of the State of Pernambuco

    Museu do Estado de Pernambuco

    Objects from the history of the state on display, from a Dutch bronze cannon to Afro-Brazilian art.

    Tue-Fri 10:00-17:00, Sat Sun 14:00-17:00

11. See Not mapped

    Nossa Senhora do Carmo

    Our Lady of Carmel Basilica and Convent

    Built between 1710-1767, where the Boa Vista Palace built by the Dutch governor of Northeastern Brazil once stood. A religious art collection can also be visited. Baroque in style; altar with gold engravings and crowns of gold and precious stones. One of the rooms is covered with Portuguese tiles.

    Mon-Fri 07:00-19:00, Sat 07:00-12:00, Sun 08:00-12:00 and 18:00-21:00

12. See Not mapped

    Nossa Senhora do Pilar

    Constructed in 1680, on the site of Fort of São Jorge which had been damaged by the Dutch a few decades earlier. Interestingly, material from the fort was used when building the church.

13. See Not mapped

    Pernambucan School

    Ginásio Pernambucano

    Built in the second quarter of the 19th century, it is one of Brazil's oldest secondary schools. The school's Louis Jacques Brunet Natural History Museum was one of the first in Latin America. Father Carapuceiro, Barbosa Lima Sobrinho, Epitácio Pessoa and Ariano Suassuna were either teachers or students here. The school was visited by Emperor Dom Pedro II.

14. See Not mapped

    Princesses' Field Palace

    Palácio do Campo das Princesas

    The state governor's Palace, built in 1841. The name of the building derives from the fact that the daughters of Emperor Dom Pedro II used to play in the palace's gardens.

15. See Not mapped

    Recife City Museum

    Museu da Cidade do Recife

    Inside the 17th-century Five Pointed Fort, the former Fort Frederik Hendrik. Presenting the history of the city.

    Mon-Fri 09:00-18:00, Sat Sun 13:00-17:00

16. See Not mapped

    Ricardo Brennand Institute

    Instituto Ricardo Brennand

    Holds a very impressive collection of Brazilian and European historical artifacts from the 15th to 19th centuries. Special attention given to the period of Dutch occupation in Recife and Northeastern Brazil.

    Tue-Sun 13:00-17:00

17. See Not mapped

    São Pedro dos Clérigos

    Saint Peter of Clerics Cathedral, Co-Cathedral of Recife

    Built between 1728 and 1782, the cathedral is in the charming Saint Peter Square, surrounded by colorful colonial buildings. It is a replica of the Santa Maria Maggiore Sanctuary in Rome. Rosewood altar; pulpit engraved in gold; wooden ceiling sculpted with images of Saint Peter, the twelve apostles and the evangelists. Blend of baroque art, 16th-century mannerism, as well as rococo and neoclassic elements.

18. See

    Justice Palace

    Palácio da Justiça

    Seat of the Pernambuco State Judiciary, built in 1930.

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Recife (CC BY-SA 4.0).