Bust of Marcílio Dias is placed back in Praça Onze

The bust of Marcílio Dias, the first black soldier to have his name inscribed in the Book of Heroes and Heroines of the Nation, is back at Praça Onze. The Rio City Hall, through the Municipal Conservation Department, replaced the monument on its granite pedestal on Monday (5/6), which is located in the central flowerbed of Avenida Presidente Vargas, in front of the Tia Ciata Municipal School, near the intersection with Rua de Santana.

In April of this year, the bust of Marcílio Dias was the victim of an attempted theft, but was recovered by agents of the Municipal Guard and handed over to the Monuments and Fountains Management team, linked to Conservation. After assessing the damage, the reproduction of the sculpture, signed by Henrique Hulse, had to be sent to the foundry, because part of the bronze on the back had been broken by stones and had to be remade.

To try to prevent vandals from taking action, the Monuments and Fountains Management filled the bust with concrete and placed new pins, in order to increase its internal resistance in the event of vandalism.

About Marcílio Dias

Marcílio Dias, the son of a black washerwoman, joined the Navy when his mother was unjustly imprisoned in 1855, and played a prominent role in the Uruguayan War. In 1864, he disembarked in the Uruguayan city of Paysandú as a crew member of the corvette Parnaíba, under the command of Admiral Tamandaré, and planted the Brazilian standard on the church tower in the city square. In 1865, Marcílio Dias was wounded and died, after distinguishing himself for his bravery in the Naval Battle of Riachuelo, the conflict that defined the course of the Paraguayan War. In 2022, he became the first black soldier to have his name inscribed in the Book of Heroes and Heroines of the Nation, located in Praça dos Três Poderes, in Brasília.

 

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