São Luís city celebrates 25 years as world heritage
The city of São Luís, capital of Maranhão state, in Northeast Brazil, this Tuesday (Dec. 6) is celebrating 25 years since its recognition as Cultural Heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).According to Brazil’s Institute of National Historical and Artistic Heritage (Iphan), the title—awarded in Naples, Italy, on December 6, 1997—resulted from the city’s rich and diverse urban scene and architecture as well as its history as a Portuguese colonial city, with preserved layout and a representative architectural ensemble.The historic center of the capital of Maranhão is made up of over a thousand mansions at least one century old—many of which built in the 18th and 19th centuries, with traditional Portuguese tiles and French influence. Thi...