Short answers, pulled from the story.
Belém was founded on the 12th of January 1616 by Portuguese captain-general Francisco Caldeira Castelo Branco, acting on orders from the Governor General of Brazil. He built a wooden fort called Presépio, which became the nucleus of the future city.
Belém is the Portuguese form of Bethlehem, which derives from the Hebrew phrase meaning house of bread. The city was originally named Nossa Senhora de Belém do Grão-Pará, eventually shortened to Belém do Pará.
The Círio de Nazaré is an annual Catholic procession held on the second Sunday of October, regarded as the largest religious event in Brazil. It follows a statue of the Virgin of Nazareth through the streets of Belém for around five hours and includes a river pilgrimage through Guajará Bay.
Belém has an estimated city population of approximately 1,398,531 people. Its metropolitan area, which includes seven cities such as Ananindeua and Castanhal, reaches approximately 2,491,052 people, making it the 12th most populous city in Brazil.
Belém served as the principal export hub of the Amazon rubber industry. The rubber era peaked between 1910 and 1912, and the wealth it generated funded major urban projects and the construction of eclectic-style mansions and neoclassical buildings across the city.
The Ver-o-Peso market was created in 1688 as a Portuguese taxation checkpoint for goods entering and leaving Amazonia. Located in the old port centre, it now brings together two thousand stalls selling regional fruits, medicinal herbs, fish, meats, and crafts.