The Founding and Emancipation of Paraty
Paraty took shape through a series of events: Indigenous presence predated Portuguese settlement, the colonial village moved in the seventeenth century, and a 1667 royal charter recognized it as an autonomous town.
- 1630–1667
- Settlement, relocation, and autonomy
What happened
The Goianá already lived in the region and used routes connecting the coast and the interior. In 1630, the Chapel of São Roque marked the colonial settlement at Morro da Vila Velha. Over the following decades, the settlement began moving to the lowland between the Perequê-Açu and Patitiba rivers, on land donated by Maria Jácome de Melo. The Chapel of Our Lady of the Remedies became the center of the new settlement. The erection of a pillory in 1660 signaled a bid for autonomy, which a royal charter recognized on February 28, 1667.
Why it matters
This sequence shows why Paraty does not have one simple founding date. The town emerged from earlier occupation, territorial disputes, enslaved labor, maritime circulation, and urban choices that remain visible in the landscape.
Related places
- Morro da Vila Velha
- Church of Our Lady of the Remedies
- Historic Center
Sources
- IPHAN — Historic Cities: Paraty
- IBGE — History of Paraty
Monthly update
September 10, 2026.
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