海角大神

鈥⑻�A version of this post ran on the author's blog,听riorealblog.com.听The views expressed are the author's own.

The听Rio de Janeiro city government, together with neighborhood associations and groups involved with听the听Afro-Brazilian legacy, is upgrading an existing visitor circuit that听could ultimately stand out among all other locations in the world reminding us of one of the biggest tragedies of human history: slavery.

Rio de Janeiro鈥檚 project, says Rio听World Heritage Institute president Washington Fajardo, will be almost complete by the opening of the 2016 Olympic Games 鈥� and will be quite different from any other memorial for听this dark historic period.

In听Washington D.C.听the United States is building the听, and the Brazilian federal government has听. The听听to memorialize Transatlantic听slavery, which involved 15 million human beings. Philadelphia already has a memorial, which reminds visitors that two slave-owning American presidents听lived听.

Rio has good听reason to innovate.

At the height of slavery, several years after the 1808 arrival of the Portuguese court as it fled Napoleon, more than half a million Africans passed through the Valongo area, disembarking from slave ships. Now, the region could become a unique point of reference, both for local residents and visitors.

The听Historic and Archeological Circuit Celebrating the African Legacy will include the听听(Valongo Wharf); the听Instituto dos Pretos Novos, the final resting place of slaves who died on the journey or shortly after arrival; the recently-restored Valongo Gardens; the听Jos茅 Bonif谩cio Cultural Center; the听Pedra do Sal, now an outdoor samba venue, at the foot of the rock where slaves unloaded salt; and the Largo do Dep贸sito warehouse, where slaves were fattened and sold.

The circuit will also include the,听which now houses the Comit锚 A莽茫o da Cidadania or Citizenship Action Committee, built by the black abolitionist Andr茅 Rebou莽as in听1871 鈥� without slave labor, as he ordered.

Mr. Fajardo told听RioRealblog that City Hall is focusing on the circuit鈥檚 sustainability. The Institute is working with neighborhood partners 鈥� brought together by the Curating Work Group for the Urban, Architectural, and Museological Circuit Project. The group prepared a recommendations document, parts of which have been incorporated.

The听Circuit听will feature a bold memorial that Sara Zewde, a Harvard University landscape architecture masters鈥� student, helped to research and create. Instead of a statue, monument, building, or wall, the听memorial will be the public space between the wharf, the Valongo Gardens, and听the warehouse. The current plan is for this space to encourage visitors to sit, walk, and reflect, among trees, shade and light.

鈥淭his听is听a world, and the way it operated, for a long time,鈥� says听Ms. Zewde.

Slavery ended almost 127 years ago. But the听Valongo Wharf, where slaves landed from 1811 to听1831, reappeared only in听2011, during听the Porto Maravilha port revitalization excavations. These also revealed.

Remodeled听in听1843 so that the听Princess Mar铆a Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Teresa Cristina Maria de Bourbon, fianc茅e of听(then) future听Emperor听Dom Pedro II, could disembark听in comfort in听Rio de Janeiro, the wharf听was buried in 1911. And then, forgotten.

A break from tradition

Today, the听location 鈥� part of a region whose history is at the core of听Brazil鈥檚 African heritage 鈥� has听the eye听not only of听City Hall and Afro-Brazilian leaders, but also draws attention from the United Nations.

In听2013, the Wharf听was named part of the city鈥檚 cultural heritage. The following year, the city began to develop its candidacy for selection as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.听UNESCO, the United Nations鈥檚 culture and education arm, will announce its decision in the first quarter of 听2016.

The听memorial will break with Western practice听regarding public space, attempting instead to echo the traditions of enslaved Africans鈥� native听lands, says Zewde. The biggest challenge will be to help visitors gain a sense of the connection between past and future, a strong element in many African cultures.

Circular forms and musical rhythms seen today in samba circles, Candombl茅 religious rituals, Afox茅 traditions, and the听capoeira dance/martial art, will be听part听of听the听memorial, whose visual identity will be selected in a contest to be held this year.

In addition, Zewde notes, the听memorial will underscore the connections between the African continent and听Brazil, using water and trees听鈥� and maybe even a baobab 鈥� that slaves would have known in their native lands. She also hopes to recreate the sad passage听that slaves trod听on landing in Rio, as best as can be done, given the amount of landfill that took place over time.听

鈥淚n听[the] Candombl茅 [religion]鈥� says Zewde, 鈥淭he universe听is a tree.鈥�