Papier-mâché masks
Olinda craft.
MTur Destinos — Public domain · MTur Destinos — Public domain · Prefeitura de Olinda — CC BY-SA 3.0
The Mercado da Ribeira is a colonial building in the upper part of Olinda, on Rua Bernardo Vieira de Melo, built in the late 17th or early 18th century, probably around 1693, with a brick floor, two colonnaded terraces and stone thresholds. It was a market for meat, flour and fish, and enslaved Africans were also sold here, a reminder of a painful side of the town's history. Restored in its original style, it now houses craft shops selling pottery, lace, leather and straw, the traditional papier-mâché masks and Pernambuco souvenirs, along with workshops for woodcarvers, printmakers and painters. It stands in the heart of Olinda's UNESCO-listed historic centre, so it fits into a walk round the old town, and entry is free.
Olinda craft.
Carving and painting.
Columns and terraces.
Rua Bernardo Vieira de Melo, upper Olinda
Historic Centre of OlindaOlinda is one of the best-preserved colonial towns in Brazil, on hills overlooki5 minutes walk4.6
São Bento MonasterySão Bento Monastery stands where the first Benedictine monastery in Brazil was b6 minutes walk4.7
Olinda LighthouseThe Olinda Lighthouse stands on Morro do Serapião in the Amaro Branco district: 10 minutes walkCraft shops, traditional masks and artists' workshops in a colonial building from around 1693.