Father Cícero Romão Batista, from the XIX and XX centuries, is the famous religious name to be heard here in the Northeast. After having supposedly worked a miracle, he was banned from saying Mass. When Juazeiro became a city, he was the first Mayor. After his death in 1934, he became a kind of popular Saint. We will see his statue, 25 metres high with an 8-metre base in the hill garden. On the Day of the Pilgrim, which precedes All Soul’s Day, more than 500,000 people gather here. We will visit the chapel of N Sra do Perpétuo Socorro (1908), where Father Cicero’s tomb is, in Praça Socorro (Socorro Square), and the main church of N Sra dos Dores (1887) in Praça dos Romeiros (Pilgrim’s Square). The Father Cicero Memorial Museum has a collection of objects, paintings and photographs from the life of this Holy person. Mannequins recreating scenes from his life can be found in the Vivo Padre Cicero Museum, where we will also find a salon with offerings to the saint.
Day 2 (Mon) - Juazeiro do Norte / Conceição das Crioulas / Triunfo
Morning trip to Conceição das Creoulas, a remnant of the negro community from the negro quarters during the days of slavery. For each ten brazilians, three are black or mullatos and on them weighs the inheritance of almost four centuries of captivity. Afternoon trip to Triunfo for lodging.
Day 3 (Tues) - Triunfo
/ Ibimirim / Buíque
Morning visit Quiridalho Mountain, with natural shelters and caves, registering rupestrian paintings; the Puiú Lagoon has high salinity in the left side, while in the right side we will find fresh water. Ibimirin presents a wonderful artisan work, producting hole imagens in wood, as well as, tapestries, straw and seeds work. In moon light evenings we will participate in “Praiá” rituals, danced by indians in Kambiwá reserve.
Day 4 (Weds) - Buíque / Kapinawá Reserve
We visit to the indigenous Kapinawá Reserve, where we will be able to find beautiful dry grass and straw artisan work produced by the Indians. Their cooperative spirit maintains them united and the division of labour is by sex and age. Trekking to “Serra do Elefante”. In the afternoon we will participate in Toré and coconut samba, dance by the Indians around the Cross of the Church of São Sebastião, on the native reserve. The native song and dance is principally dedicated to their rituals. Today we obey the indigenous rituals when we eat: “Bode no Buraco” (kid barbequed in an oven excavated in the ground).
Day 5 (Thurs) - Buíque / Alcobaça Site
Morning trekking visit to the Canyons, an area of ridges, valleys and rocks, which impresses with its primordial magnificence, rock formations and beauty. The Catimbau Valley has dramatic rock formations, but the major attractions are the rupestrian inscriptions made at least five thousand years ago. After the Serra da Capivara Parque, this is the most important archaeological park in the country, with 23 sites catalogued. The graphics were made by tribes from different eras, and who used different painting techniques. Afternoon we take the trail to “Igrejinha” site, where we will find typical rock formations. We will visit Zé Bezerra craftworks.
Day 6 (Fri) - Buíque / Catimbau Valley
Morning visit to the “Alcobaça Site”, where we will appreciate different archaeological area with rocky shelters and unequalled prehistoric paintings and carvings. Rupestrian paintings show how our ancestors lived: hunts, sexual orgies and unknown animals, show that not only our customs, but also the landscape have changed greatly. Prehistoric sites are woven into the vegetation of the scrub.
Day 7 (Sat) - Buíque / Caruaru / Recife
Caruaru, considered by UNESCO to be “the most important figurative art centre in the Americas”, outstanding for its artisan craftworks and the festivals in June, winning for itself the title of the “Forró Capital” (Forró is the typical mid-year country dance in the North-east of Brazil). Morning visit the Alto do Moura, the residence and workshop of several artists who work with clay.
Day 8 (Sun) - Recife / Olinda
The Capital of Pernambuco until 1937, Olinda possesses important colonial architecture and because of this, in 1982, UNESCO declared its historic centre a Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The foundation of Olinda dates from 1535. The original small town was constructed by Duarte Coelho Pereira, the donee of the Captaincy of Pernambuco, and became Capital. A walking tour of the historic centre, where the Heights and Church da Sé (1537), the old slave market, the steep street to and the convent of São Francisco (1585), the Episcopal Palace and the São Bento Monastery, which ran the first ever law course in Brazil, all stand out.
Av. Hélio
Falcão, 530 - Boa Viagem - Recife/PE - Brasil - 51021-070 | PABX: (55) 81-3328.6007 - rbm@rbmturismo.com.br
