IT WAS the day Cicero met Constantine, both men who had in mind the greater glory of York.

Cicero Alencar, a boss of one of the most powerful international consultancies in Brazil - and namesake of the great Roman poet - visited the statue of Constantine the Great outside the Minster as part of a whistle stop tour of the city.

But this was more than just a quick homage to the first-ever Christian Roman emperor by the senior partner of ACAL Consultoria e Augitoria S/C, the Brazilian answer to the likes of KPMG.

It was a matter of savouring the history of a city with which he may want to do serious business in the near future

He made it clear that Brazil had an even larger number of start-up businesses than the U.S. and that his country's economy was expanding abroad with many of his client organisations looking for European bases. York was a clear possibility for such an HQ.

The pony-tailed Senor Alencar was guest of David Dickson, managing director of York chartered accountants and business advisers Garbutt & Elliott, whose parent company Moors Rowland International has made huge investments in Brazil.

Senor Alencar was shown around the Minster and Clifford's Tower, but was also taken on a tour of the University of York and the neighbouring Science Park at Heslington, burgeoning with bioscience ventures.

Mr Dickson said: "He was very impressed by the Science Park, indeed the entire knowledge-based economy of the city."

The Brazilian told his hosts in perfect English: "I have now come to realise that your organisation has the same ethos as ours and I would be delighted to work more closely with you."

To that end, he will be sponsoring a visit of three Garbutt & Elliott directors to attend the Moors Rowland International Conference in Rio de Janeiro next year where they will address ACAL.

Updated: 09:12 Tuesday, March 11, 2003