Play of Saint Lawrence

Play of Saint Lawrence (Auto de São Lourenço) is one of the most well-known plays by Joseph of Anchieta. It is written in Portuguese, Spanish, Old Tupi, and Old Guarani, reflecting the social reality of the time. It records ethnographic information, such as the tearful salutation, as well as toponyms and sparsely documented episodes, such as the Battle of the Canoes. Play of Saint Lawrence was first performed in, in what would later become the city of Niterói. According to Armando Cardoso, this would have occurred on 10 August 1587, during Anchieta's visit as provincial. The work was adapted by Guilherme de Almeida.