Tebas

Joaquim Pinto de Oliveira Thebas, commonly known as Tebas, was a Brazilian engineer, architect and stonemason who likely until the age of 58 was held captive as a slave by Portuguese settlers in Brazil, and possibly also by the Catholic Church. According to journalist and historian Afonso Antonio de Freitas (1870-1930), there was no construction work of importance in São Paulo at the time in which Tebas did not play a role, including the city's water supply. His modernising work in São Paulo was largely erased by demolition, but is still to be seen in the church facades of Igreja da Ordem 3ª do Carmo and Igreja das Chagas do Seráfico Pai São Francisco. Tebas' importance to the history of Black peoples in Brazil has been compared to that of Luiz Gama.