São Benedito

It was originally called Rio Arabê or cockroaches, according to the Tupi version, having as reference the stream (17th century). At that time, only Tapuias had their inhabitants, marking one of the main indigenous aggregations.

From this benchmark we have news from the year 1604, when Pero Coelho de Souza, after subjugating the Ibiapaba Tabajaras, extended his achievements along the Great Ibiapaba Mountain, setting up his headquarters there. He then commanded the rest of his conquest operations, gathering the main Morubixabas, demanding obedience, faithfulness, and imprisoning two hundred Indians, making them slaves and handcuffing them to Pernambuco.

When adventurous terrorism ceased, each Tuxaua sought his home, leaving the natives who were bound to him in Arabê. Just over a century has passed. In 1759, when the Jesuits were expelled from Ibiapaba, it was up to the Indian Jacob to gather the contingent of his obedience and seek refuge in the Arabê River. He installed his village. Soon after, scattered groups approached the stronghold, set up their tugurias, and the settlement was formed by this route. Political Evolution: The Police District was initially created according to Provincial Law No. 527 of December 6, 1850, modifying the location for São Benedito da Ibiapaba. The first school was then created, according to Law No. 685, of October 20, 1854, and the luminaries that marked the first evolutionary stage of the redoubt were opened by this line of wisdom. Its elevation to the category of Village comes from Provincial Law No. 1.470, of November 18, 1872, having been installed on November 25 of the following year, simplifying the name to São Benedito. On that date the São Benedito City Council was also installed.

The elevation of the town to the category of municipality comes from Law No. 1,850, of August 30, 1921.

Church The first manifestations of ecclesial support are preceded by the Indian Jacob, a devotee of Saint Benedict and who used his opening monuments. The primitive temple, built in mud, beaten ground and thatched roof, was staffed by the natives themselves (1759). About eight decades have passed. In 1841, the first house of prayer was erected in modern terms, having as assistant the parish priest of Viçosa do Ceará, Father Filipe Benício. Expanded and reformed this unpretentious oracle and counting on St. Benedict stimulus that was the vanguard Father John Crisostomo de Oliveira Freire, came the idea of building the Mother Church, whose works begin on 23 August 1850. The work of completion and inaugural event, dated December 21, 1851. He has as his illustrious son Raimundo de Farias Brito (São Benedito, July 24, 1862 - Rio de Janeiro, January 16, 1917), a Brazilian writer and philosopher, being considered as one of the greatest names in the country's philosophical thought and author of One of the most complete philosophical works originally produced in Brazil, in which he identified the planes of knowledge and being, dogmatically returning to the traditional metaphysics of a spiritualist character.

On August 29, 1970, in a controversial guerrilla action, the National Liberating Action (ALN, Cuban-armed armed group) assaults the establishment of merchant José Armando Rodrigues and candidate for deputy mayor by ARENA (National Renewal Alliance). , a support party for the military regime), who was kidnapped, tortured and murdered with four shots and then shot in the Ibiapaba Mountain, the body being found the next day by the father of the victim [5]. The barbarism caused the largest police siege in the history of Ceará [6], with almost everyone involved in this terrorist act in São Benedito arrested and some sentenced to life imprisonment by the Military Justice. The execution of José Armando Rodrigues is a taboo among veterans of the armed left because among the reasons for his murder are various versions that would be an extramarital affair of the daughter of José Bento, an ALN militant and former PCB member, who after the denouement, the father "wanted to wash the honor with blood" or that the merchant would have a list of guerrillas in the region that would be reported to the competent authorities [5], so much so that this death was not carried out in the ALN newspapers or manifestos were left to explain the reasons for the murder as usual. Barbarism caused the largest police siege in the history of Ceará [6], practically dismantling the ALN in Ceará. In memory of José Armando Rodrigues, a city street has its name.

Date of Creation: November 18, 1872.

Installation: November 25, 1873. Dismembered from Viçosa do Ceará. Patron Saint: Saint Benedict. Day: 01/01.

Ancient Architecture: Mother Church of Saint Benedict (1841).

• List of municipalities in Ceará

The municipality of São Benedito is one of the largest producers of roses in the world, so it is better known as the City of Flowers. All this merit is not for less, every day more than 220,000 roses are harvested, which are exported to other countries such as the Netherlands, Italy and others. Today São Benedito has four Florists, the two largest are Reijers and Cearosa, as well as having the Flora Fogaça.

In addition to the production of roses, recently São Benedito also started to produce strawberry, the fruit of cold weather, adapted in the climate of São Benedito, which goes from minimum 15 ° C to maximum 28 ° C, today the municipality is the largest strawberry producer. from Ceará, and soon the strawberry from São Benedito will be exported to Europe.

The city is served by Walfrido Salmito de Almeida Airport.