Oeiras

Oeiras was the seat of the captaincy and the capital of Piaui until 1852, when the government moved to Teresina for the river, and the town has stayed small since - which is why the colonial centre survived. The Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Vitoria, begun in the eighteenth century, is the oldest church in the state; the Casa da Camara e Cadeia and the bishop's palace stand on the same square. Its Holy Week is the reason to time a visit: processions run through the streets after dark for several nights, including the Procissao do Fogareu with hooded penitents and torches, in a form that has changed little in generations and is attended by the town rather than staged for visitors. The surrounding country is caatinga and cattle.

History

First known as Vila da Mocha, after the stream it stands on, the settlement became a vila by order of King John V in 1712, and when the captaincy of Piauí was split from Maranhão in 1718 it was named its capital. Autonomy came in practice only in 1759 with the first governor, João Pereira Caldas, and in 1761 it became a city and took the name Oeiras, after the Count of Oeiras, later the Marquis of Pombal; it remained the seat of government until 1852, when the capital moved to the new city of Teresina (Wikipedia, Oeiras, Piauí).

What to look for

• Piaui's first capital - the seat of government until 1852.
• Nossa Senhora da Vitoria - the oldest church in the state.
• Night processions in Holy Week - hooded penitents and torches in the streets.
• A colonial core kept by stagnation - preserved because the capital moved away.

When to go

Holy Week for the processions; otherwise May to September. A day.

What to expect

Outside Holy Week the town is very quiet and there is little for a visitor beyond the churches. Accommodation is basic and fills entirely during the processions. Heat is severe. Buses from Teresina take most of a day.

Nearby

Picos is south-east; Teresina is north.

Key facts