English
Town Hall and Prison
Jaguaripe, Bahia, Brazil
Equipment and Infrastructures
The Town Hall and Prison of Jaguaripe is located between the banks of the River Jaguaripe and the square bordering its main entrance. The building is the major landmark for those arriving by boat. Its windows offer views over the river estuary and the great expanse of mangroves, as well as of the parish church on higher ground. The building possesses a basement accessed via a staircase and ramp on its left side, which also serve the port. The town of Jaguaripe was established in 1697 and the building was finished that same year. The high construction cost led the crown to investigate a possible misappropriation of royal resources. The building’s plan is rectangular, with a hipped roof ending in beira-seveira eaves on the façade facing the square, and a cornice on the others. Due to its location on sloping ground, the side facing the square has two floors, while the back side facing the river has four. A partially arched basement is set below the level of the square, which served as a marketplace. Above it is a low-ceilinged mezzanine. The prison is located on these two levels. Tradition holds that a cellar once existed, the “Salt Prison”, a sort of dungeon periodically flooded by the tide. The main façades facing the square and river feature rows of five windows with arched lintels, while the other sides have rows of three. The windows at the level of the square facing the river have stone frames, with a curved frieze over the lintels and bases of former balconies. The upper-floor windows facing onto the square are pulpit-like with wrought-iron railings. The interior is quite plain.