The occupation of Santa Cruz had its starting point with the donation of a farm in allotment to the Jesuits. After the expulsion of the religious order, the Farm of Santa Cruz became the summer residence of the royal and imperial family. The presence of the Court was significant for the region and, because of that, several European travelers such as Debret, Langsdorff and Hidelbrandt visited the area.
After the proclamation of independence in 1822, the farm underwent further improvements and was renamed Santa Cruz Estate. The coronation of the young king took place there and, after his mother’s death, he became known as King João VI. Among other important reforms is the establishment of the Slaughterhouse of Rio de Janeiro in 1881, once the most important in Brazil. In 1936, Hangar do Zeppelin was built at the site and inaugurated in the presence of President Getúlio Vargas. The base was considered one of the most outstanding of the country. In 1858, another important venture that spurred the neighborhood was the extension of the railroad D. Pedro II to Santa Cruz, which contributed to the development of a relevant agricultural area.
The neighborhood has lost its prestige over time, but Santa Cruz is still a point of reference and convergence between the neighborhoods of the western part of the city keeping its historical past protected.
The monument was erected in honor of the Brazilians who fought in World War II, with a map of where the Brazilian forces acted on the square in front of the battalion Villagran Cabrita. It is now the headquarters of the Engineering Battalion-School.
Image Credits: Vera Dias
The School of Engineering Battalion (B Es Eng) was set up in 1855 and is currently located in the former headquarters of the Imperial Farm of Santa Cruz. The farm, whose construction began in 1570, was modified according to its use. In the Jesuit period, it was a convent, a Royal Palace in the time of King João VI It became an Imperial Palace from the 'fico' of D. Pedro I. During the republican period it was remodeled to accommodate troops of the Army By that time, another floor was added to its building. Today, it is the headquarters of the Engineering Battalion School.
Image Credits: Halley Pacheco de Oliveira
The surrounding land where today is located the biggest public hospital in Santa Cruz was a former college erected by the Jesuits, who occupied the region until the so call suppression of Jesus’s Company, which dismantled the education system implemented by the Jesuits in the Portuguese colonies.
Image Credits: radiologiarj.blogspot.com
The plaza honors the archbishop who in 1841 presided over the consecration ceremony of D. Pedro II, Emperor of Brazil, and it received the Grand Cross of the Imperial Order of Christ, being named Marquis of Santa Cruz. Dom Romualdo was also responsible for building a chapel to Our Lady of the Conception in the region where there is now a modernized church. The square is decorated by a rare sample of Wallace Fountain, which was originally situated on the outskirts of the Imperial Treasury headquarters. Designed by Charles Lebourg in 1872 and forged in the famous studio Val d’Osne, birthplace of French artistic foundry in the 19th century, it has caryatids identical to the fonts installed at Parque da Cidade and Floresta da Tijuca.
Image Credits: Domingos Peixoto
The house was built in 1917 and belonged to the famous political leader of the region, Julius Cesario de Melo, who lived there until his death in 1957. The avenue where the house is located was named after him. The site was abandoned for many years, but, it was restored, in 2009, by the association SerCidadão and now it lodges the House SerCidadão with a space for social and educational projects.
Image Credits: www.santacruzetudodebom.com.br
Two buildings considered unsafe and evacuated by the Civil Defense gave way to a center of digital inclusion with internet access, teaching tools and personal programs, providing a place for social diffusion and for the creation of art and culture available for locals.
Address: Álvaro Alberto St. with Barão de Loreto St. – Santa Cruz
Opening Hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 9am to 9pm / Sunday 9:30am to 4:30pm
Website: www.pracadoconhecimento.org.br
Image Credits: www.rio.rj.gov.br
Considered the most modern in the world at the time, the slaughterhouse was inaugurated in 1881 with the presence of Dom Pedro II. It was accessed by an extension of the railway and supplied meat to the entire city of Rio de Janeiro. The neighborhood was the first suburb to have electric lighting thanks to the generator which served the slaughterhouse.
Image Credits: Emanuel Paiva
Thanks to an initiative of D. Pedro II, the first telephone line in South America was installed in the neighborhood, connecting Paço de São Cristóvão to Paço de Santa Cruz, which were the residences of the imperial family at the time. The Emperor met Graham Bell in an exhibition in the United States in 1876, when the telephone was still a novelty and its inventor, a stranger.
In the 30s, a group of Japanese immigrants moved to the agricultural colony in Santa Cruz, located in the geographic space of the former Imperial Farm. They cultivated a type of seed that contributed to the development of the tomato production in Brazil and up until today the neighborhood lends its name to a variety of tomato: “tomate Santa Cruz”. It is worth recalling that the tomato cultivated by the Japanese met the demand for the popularization of Italian food in the country.
The Zeppelin hangar was built in Santa Cruz, with gigantic dimensions to house the German airships. It was inaugurated in 1936 with the activation of a regular line between Frankfurt and Rio de Janeiro (with a stop in Recife). The terminal was connected to the railroad – a privilege that no Brazilian airport has had up to the present day. However, a year after its inauguration, a serious accident – with the airship Hindenburg in the US – jeopardized the safety of this type of transport, putting an end to its operations.
The Municipal Cultural Tent Sandra de Sá was inaugurated in 2004 with a performance of the singer Sandra de Sá for over a thousand people. Divided into two pavilions, a library, a game table, a square with playground and an indoor soccer court, the tent also has a covered shed with a capacity for 320 people, hosting different types of shows.
Address: 219, Praça do Lote - Santa Cruz
Phone: (21) 3395-1630
Website: www.facebook.com/pages/Lona-cultural-Sandra-de-Sá
Image Credits: www.oestadorj.com.br
Founded on February 18, 1959, the samba school arose from a dirty street parade, “Vai Quem Quer”. In 1963, “Acadêmicos” settled in 573, Rua do Império. Currently, it parades to the series A of Rio’s samba schools.
Address: 573, Rua do Império - Santa Cruz
Phone: (21) 3158-5812
Website: www.facebook.com/GresAcademicosDeSantaCruz
Image Credits: Alexandre Macieira
Every month, in a farm in Santa Cruz, this association runs a “costelada” (barbecue ribs roasted in a ditch) and other traditional festivals of Rio Grande do Sul, as Fandangos and the Week Farroupilha. On average, 1,500 kg of ribs are baked for about 5 hours in each of the events.
Address: 4560, João XXIII Ave. - Santa Cruz
Phone: (21) 2463-7693 / (21) 2418-4265
Website: https://www.facebook.com/SSR1857/
Image Credits: www.ocariucho.com.br
Situated in the historical quarter of the Slaughterhouse of Santa Cruz, it was set up by a local residents movement. Along with the Noph (Center for guidance and historical research) and other local entities, the movement aims to promote the rescue of the cultural identity of Santa Cruz and to develop actions and projects with and for the community, such as campaigns, exhibitions and educational activities.
Address: Rua das Palmeiras Imperiais (former Rua do Matadouro), s / nº (point of reference: Palacete Princesa Isabel) - Santa Cruz
Image Credits: André Ribeiro
