Largo do Pelourinho (Pelourinho Square)

Largo do Pelourinho (Pelourinho Square) Review

This small plaza commemorates the day in 1888 when Princesa Isabel, daughter of Dom Pedro II, signed the decree that officially ended slavery. It was at this spot where runaway or uncooperative slaves were tied to a pillory and publicly beaten until the practice was forbidden in 1835. Today the plaza has one of the largest and most charming groupings of Brazilian colonial architecture. It's also a thriving cultural center, with four public stages named after characters in Jorge Amado novels. There's music nightly, and usually dancing on Tuesday and Sunday evenings.