Praça Alípio Carvalho

ALÍPIO CARVALHO SQUARE

The villages usually grow around a square with a church and here in Carolina it is no different. The heart of the city - at least in the urban area - is here. Here, you will also find a Tourist Assistance Center (CAT) with more detailed information.

Photo: Wikipedia / Reproduction

The first explorers arrived centuries earlier in the Tocantins River region. But Carolina's story reserves an important chapter for Alípio Alcides de Carvalho and Rosa Sardinha Guimarães Carvalho, who arrived in October 1880, when Brazil was still an empire. That year, the two were married.

The following year, Alipio was affected by a disease called beriberi - vitamin B1 deficiency. He was advised to move to the interior of Maranhão.

He chose Carolina for its geographical position, on the navigable bank of the Tocantins River. The region is rich in fruit and has a pleasant climate. It worked so well that he never left here! This was just the beginning. A republican, Alipio fought against slavery. He freed those connected with him long before the Golden Law.

Photo: Reproduction

ALIPIO, A VISIONARY

In organizing the city, he thought about the balance between nature and growth. As a professional, he went from animal husbandry to pharmacy, handling medicines and performing minor surgeries using medical treatises in French and German. Also, writer, poet and musician.

In addition to the name, it has marks of the couple Alípio and Rosa until today in the surroundings. They were the ones who planted the 12 mango trees on Av. Getulio Vargas. The Imperial Palms planted here are also his work. To keep the perfect distance, at the time, they used a rope.