Anna Gonsalves Paes de Azevedo

In 1630, she married the Portuguese army captain Pedro Correia da Silva, receiving as her dowry the Casa Forte sugar mill, the largest in the Capibaribe valley, founded by her maternal grandfather, Diogo Gonsalves.

In the same year, Pedro Correia da Silva died in combat against the Dutch who invaded Pernambuco, leaving Anna widowed at eighteen.

In 1637, Anna married Charles de Tourlon, commander of the guard of the Dutch governor Johan Maurits of Nassau-Siegen, in Recife.

Unlike many women of her time, Anna received a good education from her parents, which enabled her to efficiently manage the Casa Forte mill, maintaining it among the ten most productive in Pernambuco.

The former courtyard of the Casa Forte mill was transformed into a beautiful square in the 20th century, with the first public garden created by the landscape designer Burle Max.