The mystical battle of San Sebastian

San Sebastian and Rio de Janeiro ....January 20 is the day of St. Sebastian, the patron of the city! City of Sao Sebastiao do Rio de Janeiro!So Rio has this name in honor of the Holy ??Well, the story is not quite this good and a lot of people confuse the facts. So let the truth ... The Rio de Janeiro was founded in March 1, 1565 with the San Sebastian City name in honor of the young prince (then 14) heir to the Portuguese throne Sebastian. The same would disappear a few years later in 1580 in a battle in North Africa after 30 years without issue. That took the Portuguese throne at the hands of Spain, where his cousin and closest relative was king. There begins the period known as the Iberian Union that you may have studied some time in the history of Brazil. But let's history of Rio ....On January 20 (day of San Sebastian) 1567, a historical battle, the French were defeated by the Portuguese and definitively expelled from Guanabara Bay. Legend has it that the Holy San Sebastian was seen among Portuguese soldiers combatatendo the enemy. Legend or fact, however, two coincidences deserve to be highlighted:1) The day of the final battle against the enemy is the day of the saint who has the same name as the town.2) The founder of the city, the young Estacio de Sa, die as a result of a battle injury done with an arrow as well as the saint.Time: As the body was never found Sebastian ran a legend in Portugual (and here also in northeastern Brazil) that Sebastian would return and liberate the Portuguese dominion of the enemy bringing glory back to the realms of Lusiads! The people waiting their turn giving ....Long live the King Sebastian !!For us locals on January 20 .....Viva São Sebastião !!!


LIPE LUNDORF