Laranjeiras, Historical municipality in Sergipe, Brazil
Laranjeiras is a municipality in Sergipe state located on the Cotinguiba River estuary near the Atlantic coast, spreading across flat terrain. The settlement retains numerous structures and buildings from the colonial period that still define its character today.
Portuguese settlers established a trading post on the Cotinguiba estuary in the 1500s after the indigenous population was displaced from the region. The settlement grew into a major sugar-processing hub in the following centuries.
The National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage protects around 500 Portuguese colonial buildings from the 1500s, including churches and residences with white facades lining the old streets. These structures still define the town's appearance and reveal how European architecture took root in Brazil.
The terrain is flat and easy to navigate, with old streets still mostly walkable on foot today. A vehicle may be useful for exploring further or reaching facilities outside the historic center.
The name comes from orange trees that once grew abundantly along the coast and gave the place its name. This botanical origin is less visible today, but it shows the early connection between settlement and landscape.
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