The Monuments of 100-year Independence Celebrations in Santos

Few commemorative dates have mobilized the public authorities, the intellectuals and the artistic world as much as September 7, 1922. More than a mere solemnity, the first 100 years of independence was a moment that sought to define and consolidate the identity of the young nation.

Article about the inauguration of monuments for the 100 years of Independence in Santos - SP. (1922) by Fundação Biblioteca NacionalMuseu do Café

São Paulo aimed to be the main player in the national scene, in competition with Rio de Janeiro, the federal capital. This required the construction of a Paulista memory - which was intended to be national - with unifying elements and that would allow a logical sequence up to the present.

Monument of Ipyranga. National Library Foundation Collection. (1902) by Guilherme GaenslyMuseu do Café

While the bibliographical production was concentrated at the Historical and Geographical Institute of São Paulo, the Paulista Museum was an important promoter of artistic production on the subject. In addition, several monuments were planned for the occasion, materializing heroes and events dear to Paulistas.

Panoramic view of Santos (1939) by Theodor PreisingMuseu do Café

Santos was economically and symbolically strategic for the state: its port was the main entrance and exit of goods and people; moreover, the city was part of D. Pedro's path to the Ipiranga Hill, an important episode for this memory of independence from a São Paulo perspective.

Program of the Celebrations of the 100 Years of Independence in Santos. National Library Foundation Collection., A Tribuna, 1922, From the collection of: Museu do Café
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The official program of celebrations in Santos had the support of both the state and municipal governments, and involved civil, religious, and military institutions. However, the highlights were the inaugurations of the Monument to the Andradas, the Monument to Bartholomeu de Gusmão, and the Official Coffee Exchange building.

Monument to the Andradas in the Independence Square. Archive and Memory of Santos Foundation Collection. (1940/1949) by Francesco BenassiMuseu do Café

Monument to the Andradas


The idea of honoring the "Patriarch of Independence" in the city of Santos emerged at the end of the 19th century. However, it only advanced in 1915, with the creation of the Executive Committee of the Monument to José Bonifácio.


In 1919, the Commission - which had Benedito Calixto as one of its members - opened an international public competition for the project that would honor the "Patriarch of Independence" and his brothers, Antônio Carlos and Martim Francisco. Born in Santos, they were important figures in the process of Brazil's political independence.

Public bidding for the Monument to the Andradas. National Library Foundation Collection. (1920) by A TribunaMuseu do Café

In a dispute that included well-known names such as Ettore Ximenes and Victor Brecheret, among others, the winning proposal was from the Companhia Construtora de Santos, associated with sculptor Antoine Sartorio, architect Gaston Castel, and historian Affonso de Taunay.

Maquete e ilustração do Monumento aos Andradas. Acervo Museu Paulista. (1920) by Fon-FonMuseu do Café

Illustration with perspective of the monument to be placed at José Bonifácio Square. Paulista Museum Collection. (1920) by Companhia Constructora de SantosMuseu do Café

Although initially planned for José Bonifácio Square, downtown, the monument was built at the former Marechal Deodoro Square, renamed Independence Square in 1921, in the Gonzaga neighborhood, where it would have more visibility and prominence.

Monument location study. Paulista Museum Collection. (1920) by Companhia Constructora de SantosMuseu do Café

Headline “'Monument to the Andradas': The victory of the Sartorio-Taunay-Castel project". National Library Foundation Collection. (1920) by A TribunaMuseu do Café

Affonso de Taunay was a historian and director of the Paulista Museum in São Paulo. He had important circulation in both academic and historical circles, and was a key figure in establishing a Paulista identity within the 100-Year celebrations.

Dominant motive of the “The Glorified Andradas” monument. Paulista Museum Collection. (1920) by Companhia Constructora de SantosMuseu do Café

Antoine Sartorio was a renowned French sculptor at the time. He immigrated to Brazil with his father around 1890, returning to his native country two decades later to study at the École de Beaux Arts in Paris.

Model and illustration of the Monument to the Andradas. Paulista Museum Collection. (1920) by Companhia Constructora de SantosMuseu do Café

Gaston Castell was a French architect, graduating from the Nouvelle École Régionale d'Architecture in Marseille. He also attended the École de Beaux Arts in Paris, where he met Antoine Sartorio. One of the first projects the two Frenchmen worked together, was the Monument to the Andradas, in Santos. After that, they maintained a long-lasting partnership in France, especially in the post-war reconstruction of Marseille.

Model and illustration of the Monument to the Andradas. View of its placement in Independence Square. Paulista Museum Collection. (1920) by Companhia Constructora de SantosMuseu do Café

More than a contemplative object, the monument built in stone and bronze sought to “educate” its observers about the importance of the honored characters to the memory of the past that was being generated. Through allegories, scenes, symbols, writings, and a hierarchy of its elements, a story was being told.

Detail of the staircase of the Monument to the Andradas (2018) by Mike PeelMuseu do Café

According to Taunay, in the descriptive report of the work, the staircase, at the beginning of the monument, “means the Brazilian national formation that is being gradually sedimented”. Around it are four male faces that stand out.

Detail of the "white racial type" created by the authors in the Monument to the Andradas (2018) by Mike PeelMuseu do Café

Still according to Taunay, these would be the three races that make up the Brazilian people: white, Indian and black; plus a fourth element representing the “mameluco”, a type associated with the first Paulistas and the main members of the bandeiras.

Detail of the "indigenous racial type" created by the authors in the Monument to the Andradas (2018) by Mike PeelMuseu do Café

Detail of the "black racial type" created by the authors in the Monument to the Andradas (2018) by Mike PeelMuseu do Café

Detail of the "mameluco racial type" created by the authors in the Monument to the Andradas (2018) by Mike PeelMuseu do Café

Detail of the inscription "Santos, in the name of Brazil, to its Immortal children, Liberators of a People" on the Monument to the Andradas (2018) by Mike PeelMuseu do Café


The monument evolved vertically to the inscription "Santos, in the name of Brazil, to its Immortal children, Liberators of a People", reinforcing this idea of regionalized national history.

Surrounding the work are scenes that individually contextualize the participation of the Andradas in the independence process:

Detail of the bronze plaque and inscription on the Monument to the Andradas. (2018) by Mike PeelMuseu do Café

José Bonifácio presented to the court by the future King D. Pedro I, who appoints him Prime Minister (1822);

Detail of the bronze plaque and inscription on the Monument to the Andradas (2018) by Mike PeelMuseu do Café


Antônio Carlos, imprisoned in Bahia, awaiting his death sentence (1821);


Detail of the bronze plaque and inscription on the Monument to the Andradas (2018) by Mike PeelMuseu do Café


Martim Francisco and José Bonifácio delivering to the Regent Princess Leopoldina a letter addressed to D. Pedro asking him to proclaim Independence (1822);



Detail of the bronze plaque and inscription on the Monument to the Andradas (2018) by Mike PeelMuseu do Café

The three brothers embarking, imprisoned, to the fortresses at the Rio de Janeiro coast, from where they must leave for exile (1822);

Detail of the bronze plaque and inscription on the Monument to the Andradas (2018) by Mike PeelMuseu do Café




Antonio Carlos defending the freedom of Brazil in Lisbon (1822);




Detail of the bronze plaque and inscription on the Monument to the Andradas (2018) by Mike PeelMuseu do Café

José Bonifácio appointed by D. Pedro I as the tutor to his children, D. Pedro II and his sisters.  

Detail of a stonework sculpture in the Monument to the Andradas (2018) by Mike PeelMuseu do Café

One level above the scenes, on the back of the monument, we find a relief in stone with some symbolic elements and the words “Santos, Cradle of the Andradas”.

Detail of the inscription "Santos, in the name of Brazil, to its Immortal children, Liberators of a People" on the Monument to the Andradas (2018) by Mike PeelMuseu do Café

On the front face, a bronze female figure representing the "Genius of Liberty". With wings, bare breasts, carrying a sword in one hand and a banner in the other, she “calls the Brazilian people to independent life”, according to Taunay.


At the top of the monument are the Andradas. Martim Francisco wears the uniform of a colonel of engineers; Antônio Carlos, the toga of a magistrate; José Bonifácio, the uniform of a minister.


Although the role of the three characters is valued, the highlight is certainly the "Patriarch of Independence", placed on a higher level than his brothers, on the front part of the monument.

Matéria especial sobre o Pantheon dos Andradas. Acervo Fundação Biblioteca Nacional. (1923) by Correio PaulistanoMuseu do Café


The body of José Bonifácio had been transferred to Santos in the middle of the 19th century and, since 1889, it had a mausoleum and a tombstone in the Carmo Convent.  The idea of the Pantheon of Andradas was then planned to be part of the 100-Year Independence celebrations.



Its execution included names known from the Coffee Exchange and the Monument to the Andradas works, such as the Companhia Construtora de Santos that designed it, and the sculptor Elio de Giusti for the bronze reliefs on the walls.  


However, the work was only delivered in 1923, as the builders alleged lack of manpower and material.


Monument to Father Bartholomeu de Gusmão at Rui Barbosa Square. Archive and Memory of Santos Foundation Collection. (1939) by Sophia Pretzel WaldheimMuseu do Café

Monumento a Bartholomeu de Gusmão

In 1912, the councilman of the Santos City Council, Commendatore João Manoel Alfaya Rodrigues, went to Toledo and watched a commemorative tombstone being placed where Bartholomeu Lourenço de Gusmão was buried. This was an important step towards hiring Lourenço Mazza to pay homage to the “flying priest”.

Article about the signing of a contract for the statue of Father Bartholomeu de Gusmão. National Library Foundation Collection. (1912) by Jornal do BrasilMuseu do Café

The inauguration of the monument was scheduled for 1915, and it would be located at Visconde do Rio Branco Square, in front of the Carmo Church.  However, the idea was not carried through until its construction was included in the 100-Year program.   

Article about the inauguration of the herm of Xavier da Silveira. National Library Foundation Collection. (1914) by Fon-FonMuseu do Café


The new location defined was Largo do Rosário – later renamed Rui Barbosa Square.  However, the monument to Joaquim Xavier da Silveira, designed by the same sculptor and inaugurated in 1914, was already there.


Xavier da Silveira Herm at Largo do Rosário (now Rui Barbosa Square). Archive and Memory of Santos Foundation Collection. (1914) by Autor DesconhecidoMuseu do Café

Monument to Father Bartholomeu de Gusmão at Rui Barbosa Square. Archive and Memory of Santos Foundation Collection. (1940) by Francesco BenassiMuseu do Café


To solve this problem, it was relocated to Mauá Square, with its re-inauguration included in the official 100-year celebrations, leaving the way clear for the Bartholomeu de Gusmão sculpture.  

Imagem de Lorenzo Mazza, Alfaya Rodrigues e Almeida Moraes. Acervo Fundação Biblioteca Nacional. (1908) by O Commercio de São PauloMuseu do Café


Lorenzo Mazza was one of the main sculptors hired by the city of Santos to create its first monuments, among them, the monument to Braz Cubas, installed in República Square, in 1908. He was also a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Genoa, Italy.

Monument to Father Bartholomeu de Gusmão at Rui Barbosa Square. Archive and Memory of Santos Foundation Collection. (1939) by Sophia Pretzel WaldheimMuseu do Café

O monumento é composto por um obelisco de alvenaria com elementos em cobre, todos apresentando uma narrativa que associa a conquista dos ares por meio do aerostato e do avião moderno à primazia portuguesa e brasileira.

Front part of the Monument to Bartholomeu de Gusmão. (2022) by Bruno Bortoloto do CarmoMuseu do Café


On the foreground, there is Father Bartholomeu de Gusmão in talar habits, clothing characteristic of clerics, magistrates, and scholars.  In his right hand he holds a celestial chart and a compass, while looking up at the sky.  



Just above his head, on the same side of the obelisk in relief, the monument has the image of an aerostat.  


Left side of the Monument to Bartholomeu de Gusmão (2022) by Bruno Bortoloto do CarmoMuseu do Café


On the left side is the scene of the flight of Gusmão's invention in Lisbon appears on a plaque in high relief.


Rear part of the Monument to Bartholomeu de Gusmão (2022) by Bruno Bortoloto do CarmoMuseu do Café


The back of the monument has the bust of King D. João V and, above him, the royal letter of privilege granted to Bartholomeu de Gusmão by the Portuguese monarch.


Right side of the Monument to Bartholomeu de Gusmão (2022) by Bruno Bortoloto do CarmoMuseu do Café


Lastly, on the right side of the monument appears the image of Santos Dumont in high relief and, in the background, the flight in Paris, considered the invention of the modern airplane.



On two sides, the author included laurels in the midst of instruments of optics and physics, symbolizing the conquest through science.


Plaque indicating the place where Bartholomeu de Gusmão was born (2022) by Bruno Bortoloto do CarmoMuseu do Café


Besides the monument, on September 8th a plaque was inaugurated on the facade of the building constructed on the land where the house where Bartholomeu de Gusmão was born, located at Rua do Comércio, 49, at the time owned by the exporter Theodor Wille.

Trading hall of the old Coffee Exchange in the Pedro dos Santos building (1919) by São Paulo ModernoMuseu do Café

Official Coffee Exchange


The institution, created to systematize and centralize operations and commercial information on the product, started operating in May 1917 in a rented room on the ground floor of the Pedro dos Santos building, at the intersection of Rua do Comércio and Rua XV de Novembro.  


With the higher volume of transactions and the growth in the number of official brokers and traders, the Exchange facilities became insufficient. The construction of the new headquarters began in 1920, under the responsibility of Companhia Construtora de Santos, the same company that built the Monument and the Pantheon of the Andradas.

Coffee Exchange Building under construction (1921) by Autor DesconhecidoMuseu do Café

The proportions of the building - which far exceeded what was necessary for the operation of the institution - the quality of the materials and decorative elements, and the inclusion of its inauguration in the official 100-year celebrations demonstrated the character of monument attributed to it, making it an “advertisement” for coffee and for the State of São Paulo.

Edifício da Bolsa Oficial de Café com a torre concluída. (1923) by Marques PereiraMuseu do Café

The three-story building had several rooms necessary for the operation of the Exchange, such as the trading floor, secretary, union hall, settlement cash and classification room. But in addition, it was planned to house the Public Funds Exchange, telegraph and telephone rooms, brokers’ and exporters’ offices, as well as a restaurant and recreational area on the top floor.

Trading hall seen from the mezzanine (1960/1969) by José Dias HerreraMuseu do Café

Salão do pregão e galeria da Bolsa Oficial de Café. by José Dias HerreraMuseu do Café


Built in eclectic style, the building required an army of workers and craftsmen to be delivered on time, with a grand appearance and richly ornamented. In addition to the various symbols and decorative elements made of plaster or simile-pierre, it also has some works of art.    


 

In 1921, the Companhia Construtora de Santos ordered from the painter Benedicto Calixto two works for the trading hall: a painting representing the Foundation of the Village of Santos and a project for the stained glass that would be over that setting. Two more paintings were later requested to portray the city of Santos in 1822 and 1922.

Contrato da Cia. Construtora de Santos com o pintor Benedito Calixto p.01. (1921) by Companhia Construtora de SantosMuseu do Café

Calixto, as a researcher of local history, sought to attribute trustworthiness to his paintings of historical scenes and landscapes, based on documents, studies, archeological remains, maps and photographs. However, he was inserted in the movement of construction of the past Paulista that clearly had an ideological character and directly influenced his compositions.

Benedito Calixto em seu ateliê. (1920) by Autor DesconhecidoMuseu do Café

In the panel “A Fundação da Villa de Santos”, divided into three parts, the painter idealizes what would have been this moment of formalization of the settlement, captained by Braz Cubas. In it, he presents the basic constructions of this new villa, but mainly its social and hierarchical composition, showing the settlers and important characters in the genealogy of São Paulo.

Fundação da Villa de Santos (1545) (1922) by Benedicto CalixtoMuseu do Café

Porto de Santos 1822 e 1922, de Benedicto Calixto. Museu do Café. (2019) by Museu do CaféMuseu do Café


In the side panels “Porto de Santos em 1822” and “Porto de Santos em 1922”, the theme is the urban transformations in the city. The choice of the panoramic views emphasizes its routes, constructions, and occupation of the territory, comprising a “progress speech”.  

Stained Glass “A Epopeia dos Bandeirantes” (1922) by Benedicto Calixto/Casa ConradoMuseu do Café


The “A Epopéia dos Bandeirantes” stained glass, conceived by Calixto and made by Casa Conrado, uses a symbolic language, full of allegories and representations, to present a version of the Paulista past in a continuous history from Colony to Republic.  

The central scene “Visão de Anhanguera” consists of historical elements, Brazilian fauna and flora, and legends from the caboclo folklore. The presence of the bandeirante Bartolomeu Bueno da Silva is not by chance.


These characters were listed as the genesis of the Paulistas and key players in the formation of the national territory, going through a process of heroification in historical studies, literature and political speeches in the period.


Stained Glass “A Epopeia dos Bandeirantes” (1922) by Benedicto Calixto/Casa ConradoMuseu do Café

In “A Lavoura e a Abundância”, Calixto chooses agriculture, especially coffee plantation, to characterize the imperial period.  In the scene, these two allegories offer riches and agricultural products to the farm workers.


For the painter, the “progress” brought by agriculture after the abolition of slavery and the intensification of immigration characterized the “cycle of abundance”.


Stained Glass “A Epopeia dos Bandeirantes” (1922) by Benedicto Calixto/Casa ConradoMuseu do Café

The “Indústria e Comércio” scene, set in the Port of Santos, establishes an immediate continuation of the previous scene, linking agricultural abundance to the export movement in the port and the peak of trade and industry, represented by a female figure presenting a safe to ano


The scene is observed by workers carrying instruments that symbolize their profession.    


Dome of the Official Coffee Exchange building (2009) by Claudio AroucaMuseu do Café


To decorate the dome of the Exchange, the Companhia Construtora de Santos hired Antoine Sartorio - sculptor responsible for the Monument to the Andradas - to design and produce the model of two figures, which were later reproduced in real scale by Elio de Giusti.  


Escultura representando o Comércio construída para o pórtico da rua 15 de Novembro. (1922) by Companhia Construtora de SantosMuseu do Café


The male figure, representing Mercury, god of commerce in Greek-Roman mythology, has two symbols traditionally associated with him, such as the caduceus of Mercury and the winged helmet.   



Statue of the goddess Ceres on the dome of the Official Coffee Exchange building (2022) by Andre MonteiroMuseu do Café

The female figure, Ceres, goddess of agriculture, holds coffee branches.

Official Coffee Exchange Tower (2007) by Tadeu NascimentoMuseu do Café


Four figures representing Commerce, Agriculture, Industry, and Navigation were installed in the tower. This work was made by the Belgian artist residing in São Paulo, Adrien van Emelen, indicated by Affonso Taunay, who had already ordered sculptures for the Paulista Museum.


Escultura decorativa da torre representando o Comércio. (1922) by Autor DesconhecidoMuseu do Café


The representation of Commerce carries the same mythological symbols of Mercury, such as the winged helmet and the caduceus.  


Escultura decorativa da torre representando a Agricultura. (1922) by Autor DesconhecidoMuseu do Café


The only woman in the group, representing Agriculture, holds a shovel in one hand, and coffee branches in the other; under her feet, other farming tools.


Escultura decorativa da torre representando a Indústria. (1922) by Autor DesconhecidoMuseu do Café


The man representing Industry holds a blacksmith's hammer in one hand next to a gear; under his feet, an anvil, a chain, and pliers.  


Escultura decorativa da torre representando a Navegação. (1922) by Autor DesconhecidoMuseu do Café


Navigation was symbolized by a man in a ship's helmet, who holds an anchor in one hand; his feet rest on a globe on nautical ropes.  

Credits: Story


GOVERNO DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO
 
Rodrigo Garcia
Governador do Estado
 
Sérgio Henrique Sá Leitão
Secretário de Cultura e Economia Criativa do Estado
 
Rogério Custódio de Oliveira
Secretário Executivo de Cultura e Economia Criativa do Estado
 
Frederico Mascarenhas
Chefe de Gabinete de Cultura e Economia Criativa do Estado
 
 
INSTITUTO DE PRESERVAÇÃO E DIFUSÃO DA HISTÓRIA DO CAFÉ E DA IMIGRAÇÃO
 
Alessandra de Almeida
Diretora Executiva
 
Thiago da Silva Santos
Diretor Administrativo
 
Caroline Feijó Nóbrega
Gerente de Comunicação e Desenvolvimento Institucional
 
Daniel Correa Ramos
Gerente Administrativo
 
César Rocha Pimenta
Coordenador de Infraestrutura
 
Marcela Rezek Calixto
Coordenadora Técnica do Museu do Café
 
Thâmara Malfatti
Coordenadora de Comunicação Institucional

Bruno Bortoloto do Carmo
Pietro Marchesini Amorim
Pesquisa

Bruno Bortoloto do Carmo
Produção

Equipe Técnica do Museu do Café
Curadoria


Dandara Renault
Consultoria

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