along the southeast coast of
ilha do governador is
praia de
são bento, or the beach of saint benedict.
in 1695 the area was a large plantation named nossa senhora
de candelária owned by a man named baltazar leitão.
at his
death, his son manuel fernandes franco inherited the plantation
but then donated it to benedictine priests, in exchange for
commitments of intention for his and his family's souls.