A square formed by four hills, Morro do Castelo, Morro de Santo Antônio, Morro de São Bento and Morro da Conceição was crucial to the initial occupation of Rio de Janeiro. The city had the perfect topography for defense: a relatively narrow access through the bay and islands that provided protection. However, to prevent further attacks, it was necessary to fortify higher lands and distribute soil to the allies of the crown. Morro do Castelo was given to the Jesuits. Morro de São Bento to the Benedictines and the Franciscans were granted Morro de Santo Antônio. Fortresses were built on top of both Morro da Conceição and Morro do Castelo , thus, reinforcing the protection of the city.
Ladeira da Misericórdia was the first open road to connect the lowland to the top. It is the last vestige of Morro do Castelo. Up until today its Chikki like pavement is still preserved, quoted in Machado de Assis’ novel, Esaú e Jacó: “The steep, uneven, badly paved slope, mortified the feet of the two poor housewives”.
Address: Acess by Rua Santa Luzia, next to Museu Histórico Nacional.
Image Credits: João Barcelos
One of the oldest buildings in the city, the church’s first construction dates of 1567. It is home to altars and remaining pulpits of the church of the Jesuits in the 17th century – which was demolished at the time of the remodeling at Morro do Castelo.
Address: Praça XV - Behind the Santa Casa Misericórdia Hospital.
Phone: (21) 2220-3001
Image Credits: Claudio Lara
In 1910, Santa Luzia’s church was situated by the sea. Today, after all the landfills that have taken place in Rio’s coast, it is 800 meters away from the waterfront. It is one of the oldest temples in the city, although the initial Jesuit architecture hasn’t been much preserved. The holy image was brought to Rio by Estacio de Sá, in 1565.
Address: R. Santa Luzia, 490
Phone: (21) 2220-4367
Image Credits: Paulo Lescaut
The current building of the National Library was inaugurated in 1910, but its foundation took place a century ago, when the Portuguese court moved to Brazil. Its collection is estimated around 10 million items, among them, the first 1572 edition of Luís de Camões’ Os Lusíadas, and original scores of Carlos Gomes’ operas.
Address: Av. Rio Branco, 219
Opening Hours: Visit the website for more info
Site: https://www.bn.br
Image Credits: Halley Pacheco de Oliveira
In 1908, the National School of Fine Arts moved to the building. However, the museum was only inaugurated in 1937 and its collection originated in the set of art pieces brought from Portugal by King João VI . It was expanded with the collection of Joachim Lebreton (who led the so-called French Artistic Mission). Victor Meirelles’ The First Mass in Brazil is at the museum along with Pedro Américo’s The Battle of Avaí.
Address: Av. Rio Branco, 199
Opening Hours: Tuesday to Friday from 10am to 6 pm.;
Saturday, Sunday and Holidays from 12am to 5 pm.
Website: www.mnba.gov.br/
Image Credits: Flickr.com / Usuário: Sensata57
Largo da Carioca is located exactly where the lake of Santo Antônio was, surrounded by the hills Morro do Castelo and Morro de Santo Antônio. It played an important role in the water supply system and city transport. Fountains were built there and it became the starting point of the tram lines.
Address: Rua da Carioca, s/n
Image Credits: Helder Ribeiro
The Fraternity took part in the Abolitionist Movement and in almost all the events surrounding black communities in the last four centuries. Nossa Senhora do Rosário Church, which belongs to the Fraternity, and has been its headquarters since the 18th century, was once “Catedral da Sé”, Rio de Janeiro’s Cathedral.
Address: R. Uruguaiana, 77
Image Credits: Trip Advisor / Sérgio G.
Inaugurated in 1994, Uruguaiana’s popular market consists of four blocks where about 1600 booths display their merchandise . It was erected in the street of the same name, which was once known as Rua da Vala, open to drain Santo Antônio Lake, linking it to the sea – but it did not fulfill its goals and became a terrible sewage dump of all sorts of rubbish.
Address: Rua Uruguaiana with Rua Buenos Aires
Image Credits: Fernanda Antoun
Located in the commercial and financial center of the city, the campus Presidente Vargas of Estácio de Sá University has become of a center of excellence in Corporate Management.
Address: Av. Pres. Vargas, 642
Website: http://portal.estacio.br/
Image Credits: catracalivre.com.br
Built in the Baroque-Rococo style of the eighteenth century, it houses relics of St. Rita of Cassia, whose cult began in Rio de Janeiro before 1710, when the Portuguese nobleman Manuel Nascentes Pinto, his wife Dona Antônia Maria and her son Inácio came to Rio, on an assignment given by the King of Portugal, Dom João V.
Address: Largo de Santa Rita, S/n
Image Credits: Monica Araújo
Opened in March 2013, Rio Art Museum is part of the revitalization project of the port zone. It is installed in two interconnected buildings of heterogeneous appearances: the Palace Dom João VI, eclectic, and the neighboring building of modernist style – originally a bus station.
Address: Praça Mauá, 5
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 7 pm
Website: www.museudeartedorio.org.br/
Image Credits: museudeartedorio.org.br
Considered the birthplace of samba, the ‘salt rock’ is still a meeting place for samba artists. It is so called because salt was unloaded at the rock, by enslaved Africans in the 17th century. The steps were carved to ease the work of moving up the smooth surface of the terrain. The first Carnival ranches, afoxés and samba circles were held there. Big names in music have also been to the ‘salt rock’, such as João da Baiana, Pixinguinha and Donga.
Address: R. Argemiro Bulcão, 1 – Saúde
Image Credits: www.cursodavida.com.br
The fortress on the hill was built to be one of the strategic points of defense of the city, after one of the most famous invasions suffered by the Portuguese monarchy: the French Antarctic, popularly known as the French Invasion of the 18th century.
Image Credits: Fernanda Cortez
Valongo’s Garden symbolizes the part of our history that sought to erase traces of the slave trade in the city of Rio. Surrounding the garden lay “fattening houses” and a huge trade of a series of items related to slavery. The park around the garden was designed by landscape architect Luis Rey and opened in 1906 as part of the city ‘beautification’ project, held by Mayor Pereira Passos.
Address: Praça dos Estivadores, s/n
Image Credits: Ygor Rodrigues
Upon their arrival at Rio de Janeiro in the sixteenth century, the Portuguese found a city taken by swamps, hills, marshes and sea. In the broad area that stretches from Candelária church to Tiradentes Square and from Assembléia Street to Marechal Floriano Avenue, there was a huge water depth that was divided into two lakes, a century later: Lampadosa and Pavuna. The most cosmopolitan corner of Rio – between Presidente Vargas Avenue and Rio Branco Avenue – was in deep water. It’s worth adding the words of José de Anchieta on the abandoned stockade in Urca, called the city's founding milestone: “The site consisted of half a dozen thatched roof houses, which could never be called a city.” The move to the center was the pursuit of greatness, but to better understand the difficulties that the Portuguese had when settling in Rio de Janeiro, in 1565, the city had already had its first major outbreak of disease.
The bay’s landfill boosted from the 20th century on , mainly to meet the needs of new means of transport. In the center, the landfill in Ponta do Calabouço served to build Santos Dumont airport; towards the south zone, high-speed car tracks were designed (Aterro do Flamengo); in the region of Gamboa and Saúde a huge dock was built at the port to meet the demand of navigation. There were many other great landfills, mainly in the north zone of the city.
Throughout the late 19th century until the mid-20th century, a series of 'knock it downs ' radically changed the profile of the city center. Among the hills that were put down was Morro do Castelo and much of Morro de Santo Antônio. It allowed room for the then called Central Avenue (currently Rio Branco Avenue), Chile Avenue, Esplanada do Castelo and for the landfills at the seafront (from Santos Dumont airport to Flamengo). These changes stood in place of the previous highlands. , Morro da Conceição is still the best preserved of the hills of this region and belongs to the revitalization project of the port zone.
Inaugurated in 1860, the oldest bakery in town returned to its original address – a beautiful building, officially registered as Cultural Heritage, with its art deco interiors, at the corner of Uruguaiana and Sete de Setembro Streets – the bakery stands out for its Portuguese specialties such as “pastel de Belém”, “pastéis de nata”, “sonhos”, “travesseiros de amêndoas”, “caramelos”, among other delicacies.
Address: 133, Sete de Setembro St.
Phone: (21) 2221-0533 / (21) 2221-2358
Website: www.confeitariacave.com.br
Image Credits: http://www.skyscrapercity.com
This tour establishes landmarks of historical and cultural importance of the port region to understand the process of the African Diaspora and the formation of Brazilian society. The circuit consists of: Valongo's wharf, the Cemetery of New Blacks, Largo do Depósito, Valongo’s garden, Pedra do Sal and the Cultural Center José Bonifácio.
Website: www.portomaravilha.com.br/circuito
Image Credits: blackwomenofbrazil.co
The architectural complex which houses the National History Museum was originally Fort Santiago, at Ponta do Calabouço, one of the strategic points for the defense of the city. After the arsenal had been transferred, it was refurbished to house the Pavilion of Great Industries of International Exhibition in 1922. At the same year, the museum was created and now it has in its archive the largest numismatic collection of Latin America.
Address: Praça Marechal Âncora, s/n – next to Praça XV
Phone: (021) 3299-0324
Website: https://www.facebook.com/museuhistoriconacional/
Image Credits: www.guiadorio.net.br
On the way up to Morro da Conceição, one of the most peculiar refuges in Rio de Janeiro, the bar opens from lunchtime on , and is perfect for happy hours, offering executive dishes, Portuguese-Brazilian-inspired appetizers and a selection of impeccably icy beers.
Address: 7, Ladeira do João Homem
Phone: (21) 2253-3999
Website: www.barimaculada.com.br
Image Credits: Redação Veja Rio
Right next to Matriz de Santa Rita, this stretch of road, closed to cars, gathers pubs that spread tables outdoors as a casual food court, whose main delicacy is the "sea chicken": open sardines breaded with flour, prepared in Lusitanian style.
Address: Rua Miguel Couto, 139
Phone: (21) 2233-6119
Image Credits: www.bafafa.com.br
Wedged between the noisy Avenues Presidente Vargas, Rio Branco and the port area, the hill with colorful houses and cobbled streets is a small haven for artists. It shelters , studios, cafes and bars in its beautiful houses, among tourist attractions such as the fortress and the chapel of Nossa Senhora da Conceição, Pedra do Sal, Valongo’s hanging gardens and the Astronomical Observatory. The tour of the hill can start at Ladeira João Homem, just behind the building ‘A Noite’ in Praça Mauá.
Image Credits: Claudio Lara
This cozy bistro is located in a house that dates back to 1883, which is part of the Cultural hallway of the city. It caters only 24 people at a time at lunchtime, from Monday to Friday, and has an exclusive service commanded by Chef David Jobert, offering a kitchen filled with creativity and harmony of seasonal products.
Address: Rua Teófilo Otoní, 97
Phone: (21) 3179-0024
Website: www.latelierducuisinier.com.br/
Créditos da Imagem: Priscila Bentes
