fotos Ida Duclós
The Southern Region of Brazil is one of the five administrative regions of Brazil. It includes the states of Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul. Southern Brazil has subtropical or temperate climate, it is different from the main cities such as Rio or the Amazonas area. Santa Catarina is a small Brazilian state, with little more than 6 million residents. The geographic diversity of the state includes white sand beaches, tropical forests and snowy mountains. The state has a mixed and rich cultural inheritance: Azorean immigrants fishermen, Italian immigrants farmers, German immigrants industrialists.
The State capital city is Florianópolis, a residential option for those who seek a good quality of life and a relaxed pace of living. Cited as one of cities with the highest standards of living in Brazil, Florianópolis is a unique city – half of it is located on the mainland and the other half on Santa Catarina Island, connected by a suspended bridge. Santa Catarina Island have 523 Km2 of green hills, lagoons and 42 beaches. About 45 percent of Santa Catarina Island lies in a nature preservation area. Florianópolis is modern and rustic at the same time. One of the rare destinations in the world where the new and the old coexist harmoniously.
Founded in 1723, the city has a lot of reminders about its past under Portuguese (Azorean) colonization, which is evident in old villages, fortresses, churches and museums. Along the coast, a series of fortresses built to withstand invasions by the Spanish and the Dutch during the 16th and 17th centuries, are a relic from ancient times. Amongst them are the Fortress of Santa Cruz on the Island of Anhatomirim, the Fortress of São José da Ponta Grossa between the beaches of Daniela and Jurerê, listed as a Historical Monument, and Santo Antônio, on the Island of Ratones Grande.
Florianópolis is composed of many fishing communities where catching fish and harvesting seafood are important activities in their lifes. The tradition has been cultivated by Portuguese Azorean families that settled in the island in the 18th century. Autumn is the opening season for catching the mullet, a popular fish present in many dishes of the local cuisine. The mullet is usually caught with long nets pulled by a group of people. The nets are placed close to the beach where observers look for a shoal. The fishing in the island is mostly artisan.
From a clifftop a man stands alone and ever alert, scanning the sea for a school of mullet fish. Even in the dark he is able to spot the fish and rises the alarm when everyone is asleep, prompting other fishermen into action. He is known as “vigia do mar”, the watchman of the sea.
“The reality of the fisherman is the sudden change… their salvation is to have the support of one of the most prepared amongst their peers, the one who lives on the top of the hill, alone and on awake. He is the watchman of the sea. He sees school of fish in the dark and gives the alarm when everyone is asleep.” Adapted from the book “Refúgio do Príncipe”, by Nei Duclós
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