Case file · Sacred site
Quebra de Xangô, Maceió
On the night of 1–2 February 1912 a mob in Maceió, Alagoas, attacked and destroyed the city's Afro-Brazilian terreiros, burning sacred objects in the street. The attack was tied to a political campaign against the state governor.
1912 CE · -9.66, -35.73 · status: official
The account
Many priests fled or practised in secret for decades afterwards, giving rise to a quieter style called 'Xangô rezado baixo'. Surviving objects were kept at a police museum until they were moved to a museum in 2012.