a small island with a troubled history, ilha do villegaignon (villegaignon island) is located in the guanabara bay, a short distance away from the santos dumont airport, and remains an important part of the brazilian navy infrastructure in rio de janeiro.

originally named serigipe by the local indigenous people, it would be renamed to 'ilha das palmeiras', or palm tree island, by the portuguese colonizers.

in spite of this, the island remained unoccupied until the arrival of the french, in the middle 16th century, who decided to establish themselves in the region as they engaged in war against the portuguese for a few years.