The region which is now the town of Bethlehem was formerly occupied by the Indians tupinambás.
The city was founded on January 12, 1616 by Francisco Caldeira Castelo Branco, sent by the Portuguese crown to defend the region against colonization attempts of the French, Dutch and British.
So they built a fortress called Forte do Presépio (now called Forte do Castelo).
The first name of the city was Feliz Lusitania, then called Santa Maria do Grão Pará, later Santa Maria de Belém do Grão Pará, to finally receive its current name Belém.
Bethlehem has always been strongly linked to Portugal, accepted the independence of Brazil in August 1823, nearly a year after its declaration.
Between years 1835 and 1840 was the center of the revolt of Cabanagem, that local government is demolished. Subsequently the Emperor Pedro II granted the title of imperial town.
In the late nineteenth century, Belém is of great commercial importance for the growth of rubber production. From this era algunso landmarks of the city, such as the Palácio Lauro Sodré, the Colégio Gentil Bittencourt, Teatro da Paz (1878), the Palácio Antônio Lemos and do Mercado Ver-o-Peso (1901).
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