Olinda is in the state of Pernambuco, it is one of the best preserved colonial cities in Brazil and was declared a Historical and Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 1982.
Founded in 1535, it was the richest city in Colonial Brazil between the 16th century and the first decades of the 17th century, and was known as "little Lisbon".
Between the years 1624 and 1625, it was the seat of Colonial Brazil during the Dutch invasions with Matias de Albuquerque directing Olinda.
Olinda remained prosperous until the Dutch invasion of the Captaincy of Pernambuco, when the city was burned down in 1631 and the Dutch settled in New Holland. After the Pernambuco Insurrection, Olinda became the seat again but without the influence of the past, which caused conflicts such as the Muscat War.
In the mid-nineteenth century, the city ceased to be the capital of Pernambuco.
According to popular tradition, its name would come from an exclamation by Duarte Coelho, the first donated captain of the Captaincy of Pernambuco when he said: "Oh, nice situation to build a village!" (Oh, nice location to build a villa!). Other historians prefer the hypothesis that it is a reference to Portuguese towns, such as Linda-a-Velha or Linda-a-Pastora.
Olinda is also the name of a character from the Amadis de Gaula, a widely read book of chivalry at the time of the city's foundation.
Olinda is a natural beauty and one of the most outstanding cultural centers in Brazil.
In its historic center, the splendor of the past is revived, with its carnival, the sound of frevo, maracatú and other original Pernambuco rhythms. The carnival maintains the essence of mixed Portuguese and African dances.
See more about the history of Olinda
