Usina Hidrelétrica de Angiquinho

Usina Hidrelétrica de Angiquinho is a hydroelectric station built at the edge of the Paulo Afonso Falls on the São Francisco River, combining imported machinery with European engineering design. The complex includes a dam structure and a machine room carved directly into the canyon walls.

Italian engineer Luigi Borella designed this facility in 1913, making it the first hydroelectric station in northeastern Brazil to generate power for the textile industry. This project demonstrated that European technical expertise could bring large industrial works to remote areas of Brazil.

The power station marks an important moment in how the northeast modernized, bringing electricity and controlled water systems to a region that needed both. Walking through the site, you sense how this facility shaped the industrial growth that followed.

Access to the complex is by guided tour arranged through the local tourism office, with advance booking required due to safety rules. Wear comfortable shoes and be prepared for the height, since much of the visit involves walking in and around the canyon.

The machine room is built directly inside the canyon wall and reached by an original elevator system made with leather rope construction. This creative solution shows how engineers at the time adapted to the steep terrain in inventive ways.