The Pyramid fountain. Constructed by Valentim in 1789 provided water to the city for 99 years. This fountain, however, had another special feature to it, in that it was located at the water of the main port of entry into Rio. This here is the Imperial Palace. The fountain was used by ships to refill their tanks before returning across the Atlantic. This created, then, an international hub for communication with opportunities for news from home.

This international exchange is likely the way that Valentim became a Freemason years before the Freemasons established a temple in Rio, in fact the first Freemason temple was founded just a few years after Valentim’s death. So in his work, we see the repetition of the use of pyramids and obelisks, suggesting that he was studied in the sacred mathematics of Ancient Kemet, but that’s beside the point of our task today. I’m going to suggest that the pyramid fountain, like St. Rita’s, is also a symbolic marker of fire. The pyramid is a strong vertical that reaches for the sky, and in the top left-hand photo we can note decorative work evocative of torches with an upward swirling motion. What happens when we consult our map…