The year 1812 marks the beginning of the construction of Engenho Vitória, on the banks of the
Paraguaçu River, an important
watercourse in Bahia, near
Cachoeira.[4][5] The work was sponsored by the
Commander Pedro Bandeira, an important merchant of his time and one of the pioneers in the use of steam navigation in Bahia.[6][7]
Built in the period of
Colonial Brazil, the Engenho building is connected to the
slavery process in Brazil, as it was a place that used slave labor during its operation as a sugar business.[8][9][10] The mill consists of a three-level sobrado, based on an architectural project that imagined the construction of the building with a "T" shape.[6] The building includes covered access between the engenho and the sobrado.[4] There is also a
marble hall, chapel, storage room and a room for the
slaves.[9] The building also has an
attic – later renovated and expanded.[6] The property also mentions Bandeira's family, with references to his family on the door and the Muniz family
coat of arms carved in marble.[4]
^
abFILHO, Walter (2006). Encruzilhadas da liberdade: histórias de escravos e libertos na Bahia, 1870–1910 (in Portuguese).
Campinas:
Editora da Unicamp. p. 366.