This edition of Rolé Carioca will cover one of the oldest districts of the city and the iconic Flamengo Park, which we call Aterro. The history of the region dates back to the time of the discovery of Brazil and carries, until today, the Rio Carioca brands. Already in the 1503 expedition of the Portuguese navigator Gonçalo Coelho, the river that empties where the buildings of Flamengo beach are, began to be used to supply the ships that stopped in the Bay of Guanabara. At that point, next to the mouth, a stone house was built, considered the first building of the genre in the 'new world'.
At that time, the drinking water course was known as Aguada dos Marinheiros. Who influenced the change of name were the Tamoios Indians, who denominated the construction of the whites of Cari Oca, that is to say, "House of White". The name passed to the river on the side and, three centuries later, became the gentile used to denominate the inhabitants of the Municipality of the Court. Now channeled, the Rio Carioca still empties into the Bay next to the Morro da Viúva, after traveling submerged in a dense urban area.
With the growth of the city, an open road in Flamengo served as a way to drain sugar production from the Engenho D'El Rei, in Lagoa, to the Port of Rio. At the beginning of the 20th century, the management of the mayor Pereira Passos ( 1902-1906) was decisive for the modernization of the neighborhood, with the construction of Beira-Mar Avenue and a new concept of housing in modern buildings and palaces. On the edge of Flamengo, the practice of sports on the beach and sea bath began to become popular. The 1950s and 1960s brought a new configuration to the area, with the monumental work of Aterro do Flamengo. This grand green area, which included the Museum of Modern Art and Marina da Glória, remains used for outdoor entertaining and leisure.
Image: Bernardes, Nilo; Somlo, Tomas/Acervo IBGE
As a result of the initial expansion of the Rio Metro in the early 1980s, the Flamengo Station was initially called Morro Azul. The transportation system began in 1979 with 4.3 kilometers of rails linking five points near the city. Among the pioneer stations were those of Cinelândia, Praça Eleven, Central, Presidente Vargas and Glória. The following year, stations Uruguaiana and Estácio entered the map. In 1981, it was the turn of Carioca, Catete, Flamengo and Botafogo to be completed. In the same year Line 2 was inaugurated, which counted only with the São Cristóvão and Maracanã Stations, and the Largo do Machado Station.
It was built in French neoclassical style in 1920, as a gift from the merchant Democritus Lartigau Seabra to his wife, Maria José. His design has a luxurious finish: parquet floors, windows and doorways, as well as carpets, paintings and silverware. The access to the residence is through a large iron gate in Luiz XVI style. Maria José lived until the 95 years in the house, that was registered and later acquired by the antiquarian Carlos Alberto Serpa to become a center of culture named in honor of its mother, Julieta de Serpa.
In art-deco style, the aristocratic façade of Biarritz stands out among the walls of existing buildings along Flamengo Beach. The project is attributed to the Frenchman Henri Paul Pierre Sajous, who lived in the country from 1931 to 1959 and is also the author of the Mesbla Building (currently Lojas Americanas) in Rua do Passeio. The contrast with neighboring buildings takes place through curved balconies interspersed with continuous pillars and ornaments like friezes, iron frames with gold accents and the monumental entrance door.
Reminiscent of a time when palaces and mansions dominated the landscape of the newly-established Beira-Mar Avenue, the building has housed the Oduvaldo Vianna Filho Municipal Cultural Center since 1992. The original design of the building was signed in 1916 by the Italian architect Gino Copede, and completed in 1918. Without denying the origins, the architect designed an eclectic construction, a mix of Art Deco, Art Nouveau, neo-baroque and French neo-Gothic elements. Highlight the iron gate beaten, representing butterflies and dragonflies, and the corners of the facades, with feline heads. The style became fashionable and ended up serving as an example for other buildings in the city.
From 1931, the building helped to change the concept of housing in Rio at a time when the Aterro do Flamengo still did not exist and the chic was to live in mansions. By its somber façade, it was known as Carioca Dakota (a reference to the New York correlate, where John Lennon lived). The 12-story building impresses with the monumentality and richness of interior detail. The hall is divided in two wings, with stairs of Italian marble of wide steps, and in the walls there are geometric designs with applications in gold. Beaten iron chandeliers and washers give an aristocratic touch to the environments.
The embankment where the Flamengo Park is located today was created from the demolition of hills that were located in the central region of the city - those of Castelo, Kerosene and Santo Antônio. There remained a long empty time until the urbanization because there were disagreements whether the place should be a new neighborhood or just clues to traffic. The role of landscape architect Lota de Macedo Soares was instrumental in designing the project, the first active leisure park in Brazil, inspired by urban parks such as Central Park.
A construction of the Rio Antigo that is said to be haunted is the Castelinho do Flamengo. Legend has it that the Feu Fernandes family, the second to reside in the Castelinho, was marked by a tragedy. Maria de Lourdes would have seen her parents being run over by a streetcar just in front of the house. At the age of 10, she was raised by the family tutor, who had no ties to her and kept her in the main tower of the palace. Myths aside, the creaking of doors and windows is very common in wooden constructions, which dilates over time.
Flamengo Park remains unfinished, since several pieces of equipment provided in the original design did not go out of print, and never had an official inauguration ceremony. However, as the buildings were completed, a delivery ceremony was held for the population. Some dates were incorporated as the inauguration and perhaps the most emblematic is that of October 17, 1965. Newspapers record that a public of 30,000 children, more adults, attended the closing of the Children's Week, with a series of attractions free.
Before being known as Praia do Flamengo was once called Praia do Sapateiro and Carioca. The current designation dates back to the Dutch invasion of Brazil in the 17th century. The first Dutch landing in Rio would have happened on this beach, which became known as "Praia do Flamengo" - in fact, a confusion between the terms "Dutch" and "Flemish", which means the native of the Belgian region of Flanders. Another hypothesis suggests that the name came from the bird "flamingo" - something unlikely, according to biologists and wildlife scholars.
The public park is occupied by multiple sports and cultural activities, such as outdoor projects of circus arts and stick-legs, carnival blocks and art collectives. The multi-sport courts usually get crowded, even at night, and the bike path is a favorite spot for cyclists, skaters, skaters and runners who enjoy nature. On Sundays and public holidays, the public also occupy the traffic lanes closed for traffic and released for leisure. In addition, sporting events such as 5 and 10 km races are held periodically on closed lanes. It is also a reference point for the Rio Carnival, receiving several trials of maracatus and parades of blocks.
Since 1992, the cultural center named after the playwright Oduvaldo Vianna Filho occupies the building known as Castelinho do Flamengo - which in 2018 marks 100 years of construction. The program of the space is varied, with small shows, dramatized readings, sarahs, special shows of video films, exhibitions, literature workshops, philosophy and arts, as well as courses, debates, seminars.
Address: Praia do Flamengo, 158
Phone: (21) 2205-0276
Website: https://www.facebook.com/castelinhodoflamengo/
Opened to the public in 2005, it is located at the address occupied for many years by the Telephone Museum, where, previously, the Beira-Mar Telephone Station was opened, inaugurated in 1918. The cultural center has a contemporary architectural design with bold lines and stands out in the landscape of the neighborhood, making living the present, the past and the future. With free attractions or at popular prices, the schedule usually consists of concerts, theater and exhibitions.
Address: December 2 Street, 63
Phone: (21) 3131-3060
Website: http://www.oifuturo.org.br/o-instituto/