THE FRENCH IN BRAZIL
SAINT-ALEXIS, RIO DE JANEIRO,
IPIAPABA AND SÃO LUIS DO MARANHÃO
Written
by Marco Ramerini
The
French ports of Normandy, especially Rouen and Dieppe, where were, in 16th century, a
flourishing textile industry became the principal trading competing with Portugal in
Brazil. Owing to the presence, on the Brazilian coast, of vast forests of "Pau
Brasil" (which was used in the process of cloth colouring), the French soon started
to trade with the Indians.
The first voyage took place in 1503-1504, when the ship "Espoir" reached the
Brazilian coast.
After this first contact the French expeditions multiplied.
In 1531, two French ships and 120 men under the command of Jean Dupéret, landed on the
Brazilian coast. In the island of Santo Aleixo (near Recife), named by the
French "Ile Saint-Alexis", they built a fort and a trading centre. This French
settlement had a short life. The Portuguese captured the French ships on their return
voyage to Europe and in December 1531 put under siege the French fort which was forced to
surrender.
The French made three other attempts of establish settlements in Brazil,. The first
attempt was in Rio de
Janeiro (1555-1560), the second in Ibiapaba-Cearà (1590-1604), the third in São Luis
do Maranhão (1612-1615).
THE FRANCE ANTARCTIQUE 1555-1560
In the 1550s, the area from Cabo Frio to Rio de Janeiro was under French rather than
Portuguese control.
For about five years, between 1555 and 1560, the French maintained a base on a little
island in the Bay of Guanabara (Rio de Janeiro): Fort Coligny.
The Calvinist Nicolas Durand de Villegagnon was sent in Brazil in 1555 in order to
materialise the French presence there. On 14 August 1555, with three ships, 600 sailors
and colons, he sailed to Brazil.
The French expedition arrived on 10-15 November 1555, in the Bay of Guanabara and landed
on a desert island, today Villegagnon island.
Here Fort Coligny was built and good relations were established with an adjoining Indian
village.
The members of this first expedition were mainly Bretons and Normans and they were fairly
subdivided between Catholics and Protestants.
A short time later, on 7 March 1556, arrived a second expedition of three ships and 190
men.
The colony had good view of development, but the hard and intolerant rule of Villegagnon
stopped the promising growth of the colony.
Villegagnon's oppressive rule, obliged a large number of colons to leave the colony. Among
others, some Huguenots returned to France, where their reports caused an expedition of
700-800 colonists to be abandoned.
In 1559, Villegagnon also returned to France, leaving the command of the colony to his
nephew Bois-le-Comte.
Portugal not disposed to tolerate the French presence in his possessions, sent an
expedition of 120 Portuguese and 1.000 Indians, under the command of Mem de Sá, General
Governor of Brazil (1558-1570), that on 16 March 1560, after two days and two nights of
savage engagement, destroyed the French colony. The surviving 70 Frenchmen and their 800
Indian allies, demoralised, abandoned the fort and sheltered among other Indians.
Like W.J. Eccles writes in his book "France in America": "For a century,
French traders had challenged the Portuguese hold on this vast region, with little or no
aid from the Crown. But for religious dissension at Rio de Janeiro, and the unfortunate
character of Villegagnon, France rather than Portugal might well have established a vast
empire in South America."
Map of the bay of Rio de Janeiro.
IBIAPABA 1590-1604
In 1590, under the command of Adolf Montbille, a French expedition settled in Ibiapaba
(Viçosa-Cearà), here the Frenchmen established a settlement and a fort, and they traded
"pau brazil" with the Indios that were settled in the vicinity of the French
trading station. The French stayed here in peace with the natives for about 14 years, but
in 1604 a Portuguese expedition under Pero Coelho attacked the settlement and, after a
fierce battle, forced the Frenchmen to surrender.
SÃO LUIS DO MARANHÃO 1612-1615
On 19 March 1612, three French ships left from the French port of Canacale to Maranhão.
These ships were the "Regent" under the command of Rasilly and La Ravardière,
the "Charlotte" under the command of the Baron de Sancy and the
"Sainte-Anne".
On 24 June, the ships arrived in the island of Fernando de Noronha
where they stayed until July 8. Here they found one Portuguese and 17 or 18 Indian slaves.
All were removed to Maranhão.
On 29 July, the French landed in the island "Pequena do Maranhão", which was
found deserted. This island was named by the French Ile de Sainte-Anne. From here the
French moved to the island "Grande do Maranhão" where they found some ships
from Dieppe and Le Havre with 400 Frenchmen that were trading with the Indians. Here the
Capuchins built the convent of Sainte Françoise and near it a fort, named Fort
Saint-Louis, was also built.
On 20 December 1612, the missionary chapel was inaugurated.
Here the French lived in peace for nearly two years.
In 1613, the leaders of the settlements resolved to return to France in search of
reinforcements. After some attempts at the Court, they succeeded to prepare a
reinforcement expedition. In Easter 1614, the ship "Regent" with 300 Frenchmen
left to Maranhão. On 14 June, the ship passed in front to the Portuguese fort of Ceará,
and on 18 June the expedition arrived at "Buraco das Tartarugas" or Jaracoará
where there were another Portuguese fort.
Despite the obstacles, he French reinforcements arrived unharmed in Maranhão.
Owing to the continuous presence of French ships in the area, the Portuguese built several
forts to control the coast with the purpose to stop the French on their trading. In 1611
or 1612, the Portuguese had found the fort of Ceará, named Nossa Senhora do Amparo; in
August 1613, they also found the fort of Jaracoará, named Nossa Senhora do Rosário.
On 26 October 1614, a Portuguese force of 500 men (Portuguese and Indians), arrived on
terra-firma near the French settlements, with the intent of driving the French out.
The Portuguese encamped in Guaxenduba and there they built a fortified camp, called Forte
de Santa Maria.
The French of Maranhão, being superior in number, decided to take the initiative and on
19 November 1614, with 7 ships, 50 guns and strong of 200 Frenchmen and 1.500 Indios
attacked the Portuguese fort. The attack was, however, an overwhelming defeat for the
French.
On 27 November 1614, a one-year armistice was signed, with the purpose to permit the Kings
of France and Spain to settle the issues diplomatically. It was also decided to sent
Portuguese and French emissaries to Europe to explain the question.
So, on 16 December 1614, the ship "Regent", left to Europe with on board the
Portuguese and French emissaries. The results of this mission are not well known. However,
reinforcements for Maranhão never arrived from France.
Meanwhile, on 1 November 1615, a Portuguese fleet of 9 ships and several hundred men,
under the command of Alexandre de Moura, arrived in front of the French settlements.
The Portuguese landed in the island "Grande do Maranhão" and entrenched
themselves on the promontory of São Francisco. The fortification was named "Quartel
de São Francisco".
