Electricity arrived in Brazil primarily for public lighting, which proved to be more efficient than previously adopted methods such as gas or kerosene, during a historical period when the country was among the global pioneers in the application of electric power. This was made possible by the interest of Emperor Dom Pedro II, a science enthusiast, in the emerging technology.
The Nabuco Chapel Mausoleum was the work of Italian sculptor Giovanni Nicolini, inaugurated in 1914, commissioned by the Government of Pernambuco. It features a visual narrative, depicting half-naked men, women, and children theatrically portraying the effort made to raise the coffin of the one who was the “redeemer of the enslaved race in Brazil,” as stated in the text above the chapel door.
In August 1888, the city of Rio de Janeiro welcomed the return of Emperor Dom Pedro II after a year-long trip to Europe for medical treatment. As they sighted Guanabara Bay, they saw the tribute made by the students of the Military School, then located at Praia Vermelha. They had placed a twelve-meter sign on top of Sugarloaf Mountain with the word “Salve” (Hail).
Emperor Dom Pedro II and Empress Dona Teresa Cristina were simple individuals, averse to any kind of luxury, and palace meals were characterized by frugality. The Emperor’s favorite dish, always present in every meal, was soups, especially a succulent chicken broth. It seems that this preference was some kind of genetic inheritance, as his great-grandmother, Queen Dona Maria I of Portugal, was also a lover of chicken broth, just as his grandfather, King Dom João VI, delighted in roasted chicken thighs.
Alberto Nepomuceno (1864-1920), a Brazilian conductor and composer, was born in Fortaleza, the capital of Ceará. His parents were Vitor Augusto Nepomuceno and Maria Virgínia de Oliveira Paiva. He began studying music with his father, who was a violinist, organist, teacher, and chapel master at the Cathedral of Fortaleza. In 1872, Nepomuceno and his family moved to Recife, where he started studying piano and violin. He became a staunch advocate for republican and abolitionist causes in Brazil.
On July 15, 1889 Dom Pedro II suffered an assassination attempt in Rio de Janeiro. Dom Pedro II, accompanied by his wife, daughter, and eldest grandson, went to the Sant’Anna Theater, now known as the Carlos Gomes Theater, in Rio de Janeiro. At the end of the performance, well past midnight, among the crowd, the Imperial Family made their way towards the exit. The imperial princess led the way, followed by the emperor, who had his arm linked with the empress, and behind them was Prince Pedro Augusto. Everything was going well until the emperors and princes reached the vestibule, where a sudden cry of “Long live the Republic!” erupted.
The first Brazilian composer to achieve international renown, Antonio Carlos Gomes (1836-1896), was born in Campinas, São Paulo, on July 11, 1836. After graduating with distinction, Carlos produced his first opera, “A Noite do Castelo” (September 1861), which was a great success.
The book The Kingdom That Was Not of This World: Chronicle of an Unproclaimed Republic was published in 2015 by Valentina Publishers. This non-fiction work was written by Marcos Costa, and I read it in the Kindle version. Marcos Costa initially considered becoming an architect but soon changed his mind and pursued History at UNESP – Assis campus. He obtained a Master’s and a Ph.D. in Social History, also from UNESP.
Marcos Costa is a historian, university professor, researcher, and writer. He has authored numerous articles published in academic journals, as well as the books The Obscure Book of the Discovery of Brazil, The History of Brazil for Those in a Hurry, and The Man Who Did Not Want to Be Immortal.
I finished reading the book “My Formation” by Joaquim Nabuco, a book that reveals many details about Brazil and the world in the 19th century and sheds light on the author’s personality. I have already written my review of the book “Abolitionism,” where you can find the roots of the abolitionist movement and the actions taken by Joaquim Nabuco and his companions in support of this ideal.
It is no secret to anyone the case of revocation of the Princess Isabel Order of Merit by the Ministry of Human Rights, which is seen by Dom João de Orleans e Bragança, the great-grandson of Princess Isabel, as “another revengeful primacy” of recent governments. The Order, created by former president Jair Bolsonaro in December of last year, has now been revoked by the Lula government, which has instituted the Luiz Gama Human Rights Prize in its place.
.jpg){kind=link}