Guia Cultural da Costa Verde

Angra dos Reis • Bracuí

QUILOMBO SANTA RITA DE BRACUÍ

Over one century struggling for its rights

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On donating part of his properties to the slaves of Fazenda Santa Rita do Bracuí, by means of a testament formalized in 1877, and eleven years prior to the abolition of slavery, landowner José Joaquim de Souza Breves could hardly imagine that his beneficiaries would have to struggle to this day to have their property rights acknowledged.

Located on the Rio – Santos highway, this community of former slaves from the quilombo of Santa Rita do Bracuí has been endeavoring to legalize its property and has been subject to pressure by squatters and investors who coveted the territory, ideal for building resorts and luxury condominiums. Parts of the land inherited have been usurped, although Fundação Cultural Palmares had officially certified the community, confirming the legality of its rights.

As a manner of organization itself to conduct the struggle, in 2005 this quilombo community created Associação Remanescente de Quilombo de Santa Rita do Bracuí – Aquisabra, to represent the 300 families that live there. The association’s mission is to preserve the memory and to value the cultural traditions inherited from their forebears by means of the jongo rhythms and through the reports by griots (storytellers, musicians and folk poets). Workshops are also organized with young people in order to strengthen the quilombo traditions, while a number of projects are put in place that seek alternatives for the community’s development.

Visits can be made to the quilombo, to the singular chapel of Santa Rita do Bracuí, which landowner Breves had built in honor of his wife Rita, when an altar and the saint’s image were brought to the chapel from the farmhouse. In order to avoid damage to this historical heritage, the Museu de Arte Sacra in Angra dos Reis restored the image and another of São José do Bracuí, and kept them in its custody. Copies of both saints were replaced in the chapel of Santa Rita and in the church of São José, close to the quilombo. A cultural center was prepared in the latter, which unfortunately collapsed in March 2014 and has been barred to the public. The community now expects to be given support to recover the center, which served their community needs.

The quilombo’s day-to-day activities are tranquil during the week, as many of the inhabitants work or study away from the area. Nonetheless, all of them are aware of the cultural value and the background that they inherited, and as far as possible attempt to transfer their knowledge. This is the case of Marilda, who displays tiny blue china fragments gathered in the woods, asserting that they are from English china that belonged to the former farm. In reply to questioning, she explains that she had archaeology lessons and learned to distinguish the wheat from the chaff.

Receptivity by the quilombo as well as its culture are always present with open doors to visitors, who are able to schedule visits for presentations and jongo performances. Religious festivities such as that in honor of Santa Rita in May, attract large numbers of visitors. To top off the day’s tour, a suggestion is Bar da Cachoeira under the management of Juvenal, an ideal spot to spend moments of pure delight under the shade of luxuriant trees by the riverside.

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