History of the city of Natal

Known as the City of the Sun, since the sun shines there practically all year round, the capital of the state of Rio Grande do Norte welcomes people from all over the world due to its beaches, natural beauties, and of course. rich contribution in the history of Brazil.

Its history begins in the fourteenth century when the king of Portugal divided Brazil into great bands that were distributed in colonies among the Portuguese royalty, and the part that currently constitutes the State of Rio Grande do Norte was handed over to the families of João de Barros and Ayres da Cunha.

After five years of land distribution, the first expedition left Portugal, but before they arrived, French pirates used to go to the coast to smuggle wood from Brazil and established an alliance with the native population, the Potiguares, who helped them to fight the attempts of the Portuguese to settle in those lands.

On December 25, 1597, an expedition from Portugal at the command of Mascarenhas Man and Jerome of Albuquerque arrived to the region to fight the French, and twelve days later the Portuguese began to build a Fortress that was named Fort of the Reis Magos since its construction began on the day dedicated to the Magi in the Catholic translation. Nowadays the fortress receives tourists from all over the world who know the local history.

The city of Natal

Soon after the construction of the Fort, a settlement was created and baptized as city of Santos Reis, and later Natal.
There are two versions for the name of the city, one that says that it is due to the fact that the city was occupied by Jerônimo de Albuquerque in 1599 on Christmas Day and another that refers to the date when the Portuguese entered the Potengi River in 1597 , also on Christmas Day.

Dutch Invasion

In the year of 1633 happened the Dutch invasion that took Natal and the Fort of the Magi became the Castle of Keulen and the city gained the name of New Amsterdam. After 21 years, the Dutch left and the city became as it was before.

Natal's Growing

During the first 100 years of the city, it grew slowly, and by the end of the nineteenth century the population reached about 16,000, and its growth accelerated in 1922 when the first attempts at urbanization took place.
Natal is a city that has a very important geographic position, because it is the point in America closer to Africa, and so, during World War II, it became an important North American Navy and Air Base, which caused that grow the longing to become an international city known throughout the world.
During the post-war years, the city, as well as its population, continued to grow, and in the 1980s the Via Costeira was established, which is 10 km long along the coast and dunes, a true starting point for that the city started the tourist activities that until today attract tourists from all over the world.
Currently, the main shopping malls, hotels and restaurants of the State of Rio Grande do Norte are located in the capital Natal that offers various tourist attractions, natural beauties and its history remains in its buildings and historical monuments, such as the Teatro Alberto Maranhão, the bridge Newton Navarro and of course, the Fort of the Three Wise Men.