In the city of Sertânia, where the Caboclo Benedito Rodrigues de Morais and his wife Laudelina Vaz de Morais lived, people heard rumors that a city was being built in a lost place in the middle of the Planalto (the high plateau in central Brazil). And this city was to become Brazil’s new capital. Benedito Rodrigues and his wife got all their children and their few belongings together, arranged a ride with the first truck that passed by, and went to Brasília. For days they were being shaken on the dusty roads, and burnt by the sun. At dusk on December 5, 1956, the truck stopped at the margin of a brook. They had arrived. Benedito, Laudelina and their thirteen children got out of the truck. Laudelina was pregnant with her 14th baby. But she was a lively woman and felt at that moment that she had reached the future. They didn’t have money, obviously, not even to buy material for a small hut. But God would provide them with everything. The earth with its sparse grass was rapidly cleaned so that they could sleep right there that night. They stretched out a large piece of cloth as a tent, and went to rest. They had come to spend not only this night in Brasília, but to spend their lives. The very next morning, before looking for a job, Benedito cleared the area surrounding the tent with his bush knife. The place was pleasant, situated on a slight heightening between two rivers, soon to be named Riacho Fundo and Ribeirão Vicente Pires. Their tent of cloth was the first dwelling around. Soon after their arrival, Novacap (Companhia Urbanizadora da Nova Capital ? the Company for Urbanization of the New Capital) had to choose the location of a temporary urban center for workers to live, and for commerce, authorities, and small businesses to establish themselves. Three large avenues were carved as well as some perpendicular streets. The buildings had to be made of wood so that the temporary village could be torn down once Brasília would be inaugurated. Whoever settled here knew this. Every inhabitant received his or her lot through Novacap, and the company stated the intended destruction of the village in a clear and explicit document when it assigned the lots. The Núcleo Bandeirante or “Pioneers’ Nucleus” (as this collection of temporary dwellings soon became known) would have to disappear as soon as the residential areas of the new capital were ready, the urbanization plan said. However, none of these pioneers came to believe that the temporary village would be demolished indeed. The nucleus grew considerably. In the early days, it grew slowly, but within short time its size increased at rapid pace. On February 15, 1957, two bakeries had opened, one butcher’s shop, two modest hotels, a bar, and two grocery stores. This was about what commerce in the new capital looked like at the time. Nobody needed a license to run a business. No one paid taxes, or was restricted to opening hours. So, Brasília also got to be known as the ‘Free City’ in its early days. While the construction of the new capital was underway and the city growing, the dream was becoming a reality and the seeds of its future success were spread. Many important Brazilian firms established subsidiaries in Brasília. Among them were pharmacy chains, banks, transportation companies, cinema chains, clothing shops, and restaurants. Most of them appeared almost miraculously from one day to the other. In early 1958, that Pioneers’ Nucleus which had been founded around the tent of Caboclo Benedito a year before, was hosting businesses from the basic seven or eight sectors of commerce. It reminded visitors of a city in the ‘old American Far West’ ? during the times of the gold rush, say ? but in a modern style, with thousands of inhabitants who benefited from a very active commerce and stores practically open 24 hours a day. Hundreds of trucks were around, and jeeps and cars everywhere in the dusty streets. Loudspeakers had been installed at the light posts and were filling the air with music from Brazil’s Northeast, news about Brazil, commercials and the latest hits of popular bands and songwriters. On a one hot day of March that year, Israel Pinheiro, Novacap’s President, decided to visit the Pioneers’ Nucleus. He was leaving the Catetinho through the old road that passed the Riacho Fundo Bridge, at the Western limits of the ‘Free City’, and crossed the river. On his right hand side, he could see where they were building the railroad. At the shores of the creek, a brick and concrete producing firm had opened. A little further down the street, at the left hand side, “Hotel Brasília” offered the first hotel rooms to visitors of the new capital. The owner had built the hotel in the conviction that his hotel would attract anyone who came on the road to Brasília from Anápolis, from Minas Gerais state, or anywhere else. He didn’t take into consideration that the main road to Brasília would be ready in short time, and that airplanes would soon become the preferred means of transportation for both visitors and cargo. In fact, most visitors soon came to the temporary urban nucleus by plane, or using the new road that facilitated access to Brasília. At the same time, the new road from Anápolis had been built further to the East, passing through the other side of the city and far from “Hotel Brasília”, which remained isolated at its location close to the old bridge. Other hotels appeared, which were more centrally located and met higher standards. “Hotel Santos Dumont” with its three floors became the leading hotel, the “Copacabana Palace” of Brasília so to say. Staying at “Hotel Santos Dumont” cost a small fortune at the time. The jeep stopped in front of this hotel and Israel Pinheiro got into its restaurant. In the hall, he saw a few very well dressed women. No offence at this observation. It may sound strange or impolite, but for years a thin layer of dust ? known as ‘Sépia’ ? covered everything in Brasília. It penetrated the nose of the people, dried the skin of the face and lips, made everyone’s cloths dirty and invaded every room. This dust was not, by any means, the dust of inertia or due to a lack of care. Right in the opposite, the dust stemmed from the continuous work of hundreds of machines and trucks. Who was not a worker used to have three showers a day and to change the shirt each time. The dust even became a traded good: People used to fill glass bottles with it, and to label them with the words “Souvenir, Dust from Brasília.” Thousands of these bottles were sold. Some dust of Brasília may still be stored as a collectible in households around the world. The restaurant at “Hotel Santos Dumont” was beautifully furnished. That afternoon, many well-dressed and well-to-do persons were present. Men with white shirts, shaved came to enjoy the shade of this restaurant. They talked business. In fact, all over the city people discussed the progress of Brasília’s construction, and how the glass and concrete façades were changing the cityscape. Even at this restaurant with its relaxing atmosphere, and music playing in the background, the main topic was the city’s business. It occurred to Israel Pinheiro that these men were simply resting for a while until the temperature would fall so that they could return to their inspection of the city. Would they soon get back to their camels to continue their work? The heat of the afternoon, the light colors of their clothes, and their ‘British posture’ were probably responsible for the absurdity of these thoughts, from which Israel awoke when a young boy screamed at the window, selling newspapers from Rio de Janeiro. News kept flowing to the city where everyone was at work. Israel left “Hotel Santos Dumont” and stepped back out to the central avenue, which was framed with two miles of wooden houses. The merchants on the avenue used to run their businesses in the front part of their houses, and to live in the back. Side by side, hundreds of trucks were lined up. These were rental trucks and privately owned vehicles. Thousands of people were walking on the avenue, which was about 100 feet wide. Most of the pedestrians were men, and only few women could be spotted. Typically, the Candangos, Brasília’s constructors, were dressing humbly, in working clothes or jeans. If someone happened to be dressed more elegantly than that, everyone imagined immediately that that person must have arrived in Brasília very recently. The Candango was burnt by the sun, sometimes wet of sweat and covered by dust, but always joyful and with a smile on the face. Interestingly there were only a few blacks, very few. Everybody worked from six in the morning until ten in the evening, even on Sundays and holidays. When circumstances demanded it, people even worked around the clock. Twenty-four hours a day did often not suffice given the workload. Reading a newspaper in tranquility or listening to the radio was practically impossible. Time was hardly enough. During working hours, the news came in through loudspeakers. Voz de Brasília (“Voice of Brasília”) was the official radio station of the Bandeirante nucleus in the new capital. The first newspaper of the city, Hora de Brasília (Brasília Times) originated from this radio program Voz de Brasília too. The jeep reached the district of the banks. Five bank offices had already opened, and all of them were crowded. The Banco de Crédito Real de Minas Gerais (Credit Union of Minas Gerais) had a plate on its façade saying “First bank branch of the New Capital.” And there were also Banco do Brasil, Banco da Lavoura de Minas Gerais (Agricultural Bank of Minas Gerais), Banco Real Brasileiro and Banco Nacional de Minas Gerais. They handled innumerous transactions a day. In fact, within one year, the ‘Free City’ recorded the largest number of bank transactions in all of Goiás state. The temporary nucleus was arising from a dilemma. When construction in the Planalto region had begun in November 1956, Novacap faced a serious problem. Either, it could take on the task itself and equip the foremen with supplies for the construction, and, similarly, manage grocery stores and run warehouses to supply the thousands of workers and Candangos with what they needed. Or, it could leave this task to private initiative and a supporting sector of commerce. The second became the preferred alternative. The influx of merchants, hotel managers, and small business owners grew so rapidly that in May 1957, only four months after the first buildings had gone up, Novacap had to prohibit further construction and to turn down 1,200 requests from private persons and firms who wanted to settle there. The distribution of lots was suspended in the ‘Free City’, and Novacap’s restrictive policy against any further construction in the area led to an uncontrolled invasion into the neighborhood of Ribeirão Pires, at the opposite side of the Bandeirante nucleus, across the road Brasília-Anápolis. As a result, the first slum emerged. The influx increased rapidly and in an uncontrolled manner so that Novacap had to advance its studies on the implementation of the first satellite city. Lúcio Costa had already envisaged this satellite city in the Pilot Plan, in order to avoid slums in the Federal District. In only three days, the engineer José Maciel de Paiva drew the plan of this satellite city. Bernardo Sayão named it Taguatinga, the “white bird”. Taguatinga was officially created on July 5, 1958. Leaving the banking district with the jeep, Israel arrived at the central bus station. There were many buses arriving and leaving, connecting Brasília to the neighboring cities and to more distant places in Brazil. The busy traffic of people could have reminded a visitor of a human anthill. Municipal buses were going to downtown Brasília. They traveled along the three long avenues of the ‘Free City’, which were crowded and surrounded by shops, hotels, small businesses, gas stations, barbershops, barbecue restaurants, agencies of small airlines, many offices, and the like. Some buses connected the city with the airport. Israel drove back along the third avenue, which tended to be less crowded. He was impressed with everything he had seen, and his faith in the ultimate success of his enormous task was revived. To his right hand side, he saw the church D. Bosco, the patron of the ‘Free City’. Parallel to the fabulous material development of the region, a spiritual advancement took place. At the beginning, Brasília was part of the Archdiocese of Goiânia. The first priest to arrive in Brasília and to work as a missionary was Primo Scussolino, born in Italy, and a member of the congregation Estigmatina. At that time, he was in charge of the parish of Luziânia. He had grown old working in the holy ministry. In Brasília, he was working almost without interruption. He wore simple and dusty clothes but always had a smile on his face and in his blue eyes. He brought comforting words to all Candangos who were building the city of God in the city of the men. In his modesty, poverty and kindness, he was very pleased to see the simple workers progress, who had populated the calm areas of the wide Sertão (dry and scarcely populated interior of Brazil). Unfortunately, he did not live long enough to witness the city’s completion. Two years after his arrival, he passed way. When the missionary work had begun to exceed his forces, Priest Primo asked the Archbishop for more missionaries to assist him in his work. Salesian Priests were sent to the region. They were in charge of the parish of the Bandeirante nucleus. The responsible priest was Priest Roque Vagliati Baptista, from Espírito Santo state. Priest Primo remained in charge of the Parish of Madonna Aparecida, located within the limits of the Pilot Plan. The jeep passed in front of a small wooden church, which had been built with the aid of Novacap. However, the energy and determination of Priest Roque was really the key factor that had helped build the church. He was made to bring the word of God to that city, which emerged rapidly. Many times, he was the carpenter, the bricklayer, and the painter of his own church. He did everything. On Sundays, he was the priest in charge of the service and the organist at the same time. Soon, the Candangos were carried away with this new priest. They loved his simple and accessible speeches, which were easy to understand, and his motivation for work at any time and irrespective of the weather. While his church was still being built, he held masses at the movie theater – at three different times on Sundays. After his church had been completed, Priest Roque founded a Parish School, which he named “School of Madonna from Fátima”. The Protestants also built four big and sumptuous churches in the ‘Free City’. Before ending his sightseeing tour, Israel went to see the elementary schools, among them the “Colégio D. Bosco” run by Salesian Priests, which offered classes in the morning and afternoons, and the “Ginásio Fundação Brasília”. Novacap advised workers’ families against moving to the region because the living standard of the workers was poor, and their lodging parsimonious. However, when Dona Coracy, Israel’s wife and director of the pioneering Social Assistance in the region, distributed toys to poor children under 12 years at Christmas 1957, 1,680 children attended the event. In the evening, the ‘Free City’ was similar to many other big cities. There was no public electricity supply, but many people had own electrical power generators. The lights in the houses and neon signs of the shops illuminated the city in different colors. Juscelino visited the temporary city for the first time on April 4, 1957. He could notice that a powerful nucleus of support for the new capital was growing here, even though the work had just begun. In December 1957, Brasília and the ‘Free City’ suffered from a devastating storm. It was the first storm since construction had begun. The storm built up at around five o’clock in the afternoon. Two rain fronts coming from different directions collided in the region of Brasília. Lightning cut through the dark skies, thunders and strong winds aggravated the storm. For two hours, the scenery looked apocalyptic. When the rain finally stopped, losses could be evaluated step by step. All work had been halted. The waters of Vicente Pires creek were flowing over the bridge that connected the ‘Free City’ and the Pilot Plan area. The roads had become impassable, the ground that had been prepared for construction was muddy, and none of the trucks and machines could operate. The diggings for the fundaments of the buildings had become deep ponds. The embankment of Ipê, a tributary river to the Riacho Fundo, was flooded. As a result, the embankment “Castelo d’Água” of the Hydroelectric Power Plant “Saia Velha” was destroyed. The power plant was being built to supply electric energy to Catetinho, to the Airport, and to Novacap’s facilities ? its offices, workshops, blacksmith, brick ovens and residences. The storm warned the people that a new obstacle had to be overcome in their race against time. The rainy seasons in the Planalto, which lasted from October through March, brought the strongest rains in December and January. The six months of the rainy season were a time during which the work rhythm could not be maintained, during which working time needed to be reduced. Brick ovens had to lower their production since it became difficult to obtain sand from the riverbanks. Transportation of materials became very slow, and progress was not proportional to the efforts. The storm of that December afternoon was over. But a bigger one would come some time later, and the inhabitants of the Bandeirante nucleus would have to demolish their city, as previously determined.