Casa da Pólvora e Armamentos, João Pessoa, Paraíba

Gunpowder houses were weapons and ammunition depots (arsenals). Gunpowder (a flammable and explosive mixture, composed of sulfur, coal, and potassium nitrate) was the only explosive used in the loads of cannons and carbines. Therefore, it was necessary to stock large amounts of this material for wars. In the 17th and 18th century Brazil, these arsenals were built to store ammunition and armaments to fight against invaders and defend the territories.

João Pessoa, the third oldest state capital of Brazil, founded in 1585 under the name of Nossa Senhora das Neves, had at least three of these arsenals: one on Rua Nova, now General Osório; another on Passeio Geral, on Rua Rodrigues Chaves; and the Ladeira de São Francisco. The lack of maintenance over time completely destroyed the first two, leaving only that of the Ladeira de São Francisco.

The order of Royal Charter of August 18, 1704, ordered the construction of the Arsenal of the Ladeira de São Francisco during the administration of the then Capitão-mor Fernão de Barro Vasconcelos, replacing the previous one that was place near to the village and posing a danger to the population. The construction, according to historical sources, seems to have suffered interruptions and was completed only in 1710, during the Capitão-mor João da Maia da Gama’s administration. The arsenal was built in a strategic place to also serve as an observation post of Capim Port (popular name given to the Port of Varadouro, the main port of João Pessoa prior to the existence of the Port of Cabedelo) and the Várzea Paraibana River.

The Royal Charter, among other recommendations, informed that an engineer would come from Portugal to choose the place and to draw up the plan to the arsenal. According to Cônego Barbosa, the repeated recommendations and extraordinary financial aid for construction contained in the Charter implied that the Monarchy of Portugal feared possible attacks on Paraíba by France and Spain, because the French Monarchy knew the territory of Paraíba and had good relationships with the Indigenous people of the region.

According to scholars on the subject, the authenticity of the arsenal of the Ladeira de São Francisco is proven by the building material of the construction, such as the irregular-shaped limestone blocks that were commonly used to erect the buildings in the locality and the similarity with other contemporary buildings, especially with the convents of San Francisco, São Bento, and Carmo. Such blocks were glued with clay and lime mortar, manufactured from the same stones, as in the Arsenal and in the other buildings already mentioned.

The vault ceiling of the Arsenal is  made of masonry bricks connected by cement to give it more firmness and support. The main facade faces West. The building is about 19x6 meters long on the outside. Well-carved stones form the North and South corners, corresponding to the main front. The portals of the only door that exists in front of the house have been carved with special care.

There is a crown of the kingdom of Portugal above the door and below the door a quadrangular tombstone with the following: Reinando em Portugal o muito alto e poderoso Senhor Nosso D. João V governando esta Capitania João da Maia da Gama se fez este armazém. Ano de 1710 (Ruling in Portugal, His Highness and Powerful Our Lord D. João V, this Captaincy is ruled by João da Maia da Gama, where it was made this warehouse. Year 1710). Finally, the building of relatively simple structure fulfilled its role during the times of fights and invasions.

The historic Arsenal of João Pessoa became one of the city’s sights. The capital of Paraíba is known as Porta do Sol [“Door of the Sun”], because it is in Ponta Seixas, the Easternmost point of the Americas. The National Institute of Historical and Artistic Heritage (IPHAN) listed the Casa da Pólvora as a heritage site on May 24, 1938, and today is the headquarters of the Walfrido Rodriguez Photographic Museum, preserving important photographic collection of the city.

Recife, March 26, 2012.

sources consulted

BARBOSA,  Florentino. A Casa da Pólvora. Educação e Cultura, João Pessoa, ano 3, n. 10, p. 61-66,  jul./ago./set. 1983.

CASA da Pólvora. Disponível em:< http://.brasilviagem.com/pontur/?codart=2773>. Acesso em: 14 mar. 2012.

CASA da Pólvora. Disponível em:< www.de.ufpb.br/~ronai/João Pessoa/ polvora.htm>.  Acesso em: 13 mar. 2012.

how to quote this text

ANDRADE, Maria do Carmo. Casa da Pólvora e Armamentos (João Pessoa, PB). In: Pesquisa Escolar. Recife: Fundação Joaquim Nabuco, 2012. Available at:https://pesquisaescolar.fundaj.gov.br/en/artigo/casa-da-polvora-e-armamentos-joao-pessoa-paraiba/. Access on: day month year. (Ex.: Aug. 6, 2020.)