It was the beginning of the kingdom of D. Manoel I , between March 9th and April 22th, when, supported by the contents of the “Tordesilhas Agreement”, around one thousand and five hundred portugueses sailors crossed the Atlantic Ocean , on board of nine ships, three caravelles and a small boat of supplies. It was the second army from India, the biggest at that time that left Portugal going around the world.Had left from the river Tejo in clammours and tears with 13 ships, but on March 23th, in the calm, but hazy, waters of Cabo Verde one of the ships desappeared without a sign at all.

In April 22th of the year 1500, after 42 days sailing, the army of Pedro Álvares Cabral catch a sight of land – more with relief and pleasure then with surprise or fear. Regarding the testimony of the writer Pero Vaz de Caminha, in that afternoon of April 22th “we saw a big mountain, so high and round for wich the captain named Monte Pascoal, and to the land, Terra de Vera Cruz”.Pedro Álvares Cabral, the captain, ordered to land the army around 19 miles of the land, a little bit up north from Monte Pascoal, between Itaquena and Itapiroca in front of the harbor of the river “Rio dos Frades” .

In the next day, April 23th, started the search of the marine environment and some ships landed in front of the glorious Atlantic Forest . Probably the captain Nicolau Coelho should be the first portuguese to step on this new continent and to communicate with a small group of tupiniquins Indians that appeared at the beach .

In the next nine days, in the generous bays of Bahia, the 12 ships of the biggest army sent to India through the route discovered by Vasco da Gama still recognizing the new land and its residents.The first contact, friendly with the others happened already on thursday, April 23th. The captain Nicolau Coelho, a veteran from India and friend of Vasco da Gama, went to land, in a small boat and met 18 men “brown, nude and holding bows and arrows”. Coelho gave them a red hat, a linen cap and a black sunshade.In exchange, received a plume cap and a white stone necklace. Brazil, called Vera Cruz Island, broke in that moment into the History route .

It was exactly in the district of Cabrália, in Coroa Vermelha, that Frei Henrique de Coimbra celebrated the first christian mass, that continually been remembered with proud by whites and indians every year .