Jacobina
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Jacobina is a city in the Centro Norte Baiano mesoregion of
Bahia Bahia () is one of the 26 Federative units of Brazil, states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo (state), São Paulo, Mina ...
. It was founded July 28, 1722 and the population is 82,590. The town is surrounded by
mountains A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher ...
, hills,
lake A lake is often a naturally occurring, relatively large and fixed body of water on or near the Earth's surface. It is localized in a basin or interconnected basins surrounded by dry land. Lakes lie completely on land and are separate from ...
s,
river A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of ...
s,
spring Spring(s) may refer to: Common uses * Spring (season), a season of the year * Spring (device), a mechanical device that stores energy * Spring (hydrology), a natural source of water * Spring (mathematics), a geometric surface in the shape of a he ...
s, and waterfalls. Located in the northwest region of Bahia, in the extreme north of the
Chapada Diamantina Chapada Diamantina (; Portuguese language, Portuguese for the "Diamond Plateau") is a region of Bahia state, in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast of Brazil. This mountain range is known as “Serra do Espinhaço,” in Minas Gerais state, ...
, Jacobina is 330 kilometers from
Salvador Salvador, meaning "salvation" (or "saviour") in Catalan, Spanish, and Portuguese may refer to: * Salvador (name) Arts, entertainment, and media Music *Salvador (band), a Christian band that plays both English and Spanish music ** ''Salvador'' ( ...
and is also known as 'City of Gold', a legacy of the gold mines which attracted the pioneers from São Paulo in the early seventeenth century.


History

Jacobina was first inhabited by the Payayá peoples. Residents of the municipality retain the memory of a chief, Jacó, and his companion, a wise woman named Bina. Portuguese settlers came to the area in the early 17th century. The descendants of Garcia D'Ávila, owners of the Casa da Torre, were granted land for cattle production in 1658. A second prominent family, the Guedes de Brito, were granted land in 1705, and arrived with colonists and enslaved Africans. António da Silva Pimentel and his wife Isabel Maria Guedes de Brito authorized the construction of a Franciscan missionary chapel on Bom Jesus da Glória, their large farm. The site of the chapel became the nucleus of the present-day town. Gold was discovered in Jacobina in approximately the same period, supposedly by Roberto Dias. Mining was forbidden by Dom Rodrigo da Costa, Governor-General of Brazil from 1702 to 1705, but
bandeirantes ''Bandeirantes'' (; ; singular: ''bandeirante'') were settlers in colonial Brazil who participated in expeditions to expand the colony's borders and subjugate Indigenous peoples in Brazil, indigenous peoples during the early modern period. T ...
and other Portuguese colonialists moved to the region. There were 700 gold panners in the area by 1652. The gold rush led to the cultivation of crops and livestock production. Settlement along the banks of the
Itapicuru Mirim River Itapicuru is a municipality in the state of Bahia in the North-East region of Brazil. See also *List of municipalities in Bahia This is a list of the municipalities in the state of Bahia (BA), located in the Northeast Region of Brazil. Bahi ...
grew rapidly due to the arrival of more gold panners. The Portuguese Crown took great interest in the wealth that emerged from the mines. The Count of Sabugosa tasked Pedro Barbosa Leal with organizing the gold mines and towns of Jacobina and nearby Rio de Contas. The Vila Santo Antônio de Jacobina was established by a royal charter of Dom João V, dated August 5, 1720. The city seat was at the Mission of Nossa Senhora das Neves do Say, an indigenous village founded by Franciscan priests in 1697. The village included the parishes of Santo Antônio de Pambu and Santo Antônio do Urubu. The city seat at Mission of Nossa Senhora das Neves do Say proved to be too far from the gold mines, so the city seat was moved to the Mission of Bom Jesus da Glória. Diamonds were discovered in Jacobina in 1732. Their discovery was hidden from the population due to the prohibition of diamond mining by the Portuguese. Diamonds were also discovered in other parts of the Chapada Diamantina in the 19th century, leading to an exodus of miners from the town. Cotton cultivation also began in the region in the 18th century. Jacobina was raised to city status in 1888. By the municipality had three districts: Jacobina, Riachão, and Saúde. Territorial divisions of Jacobina occurred in every decade of the 20th century. Many districts of Jacobina became new municipalities in Bahia. By 1993 Jacobina had five districts: Jacobina, Catinga do Moura, Itaitu, Itapeipu, and Junco.


Historic structures

Jacobina is home to numerous colonial-period historic structures, many state or federally protected monuments. * Chapel of Our Lord of Glory (''Capela do Bom Jesus da Glória''), also called the Church of the Mission (''Igreja da Missão'') * Church of the Conception of Jacobina (''Igreja da Conceição de Jacobina'') * Parish Church of Saint Antony of Jacobina (''Igreja Matriz de Santo António em Jacobina'') * House at Praça Castro Alves, no. 61 (''Casa da Praça Castro Alves, n° 61'') * Parochial House of Jacobina (House at Rua Professor Tavares, 108) * Church of Santa Rosa de Lima (''Igreja Avenida Santa Rosa de Lima'') * Church of São João (''Igreja de São João'')


Climate


References

Municipalities in Bahia {{Bahia-geo-stub Populated places established in 1722