Marco da Fundação da Cidade do Salvador, Stone monument and mosaic at Porto da Barra Beach, Brazil
The Marco da Fundação da Cidade do Salvador is a limestone monument at Porto da Barra Beach featuring a tall stone pillar and a ceramic tile panel. The pillar displays Portuguese Crown symbols while the tiled wall shows scenes from the early period when the city was founded.
The monument was unveiled in 1952 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Salvador's founding by Portuguese governor Tomé de Sousa in the 1540s. This public marker was created to recognize the city's origins at its main harbor.
The stone pillar was carved by Portuguese artisan João Fragoso, while the mosaic wall was created by Eduardo Gomes based on designs by Joaquim Rebocho. Together they tell the story of the city's founding through visual imagery that visitors can see on the beach.
The monument sits directly on the beach and is easy to reach on foot from central Salvador. You can visit it during the day and enjoy views across the bay from this waterfront location.
The mosaic wall was carefully designed using traditional Portuguese tile patterns that visually reference azulejos from Lisbon. This choice directly connects Portugal's heritage to Salvador's founding story at the water's edge.
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