The ramparts
A quiet walk.
Wilfredor — CC0 · rod pache — CC BY-SA 4.0 · MTur Destinos — Public domain · Ridiculopathy — CC0
Forte das Cinco Pontas, the Fort of the Five Points, was built by the Dutch in 1630 after they seized Olinda and Recife, and named Frederik Hendrik after the Prince of Orange, to guard the port and the freshwater wells the town depended on. It was pentagonal, with a bastion at each corner, hence its name. The Portuguese retook it around 1654 after a fierce battle and rebuilt it in 1684 with four bastions instead of five, though the old name stuck. It was listed as a national monument in 1938 and since 1982 has housed the Recife City Museum. The museum shows old maps, drawings and photographs tracing the city's growth since Dutch times, and a walk on the ramparts is a quiet break from the bustle of the centre. Entry is free.
A quiet walk.
Recife through the centuries.
In northeastern Brazil.
Praça das Cinco Pontas, São José district
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