Campo de Marte, or Praça do Canhão, was part of this entire region of realenga lands, public places that belonged to the king, in which leasing and construction were prohibited, but activities such as cattle grazing were permitted. It is speculated that the first inhabitants transported products for trade to the Port of Guaratiba, such as sugar, brandy, alcohol and rapadura. The first official property records date back to 1814. From 1850 onwards, part of the land was ceded to the Ministry of War.
 

Photo by Thiago Diniz

These lands were considered suitable for military training, housing personnel, storing war material and carrying out shooting exercises. The Campo Grande General Shooting School was created (1857-1890), followed by other Army educational institutions. The Military School was transferred in 1905 as a result of its closure in Urca due to involvement with the Vaccine Revolt (1904). The building currently houses the 9th Motorized Infantry Brigade.

Photo: Brazilian Army Archives

An architectural composition inspired by the romantic style, the bandstands are found in the squares and gardens of small cities in the interior and in the suburbs of Rio, representing the center of public life. Over time, they were platforms for political campaigns, religious ceremonies and other civic ceremonies. In the suburbs, it is very common for carnival events to take place in the surrounding area. The Campo de Marte Bandstand is listed by INEPAC (State Institute of Cultural Heritage).
 

Photo: Thiago Diniz

Colégio Pedro II is located on part of the land on which the Realengo Cartridge Factory (1898-1977) was built, responsible for war artifacts for the Army. Until the beginning of the 20th century, its generators provided lighting for the Military School and Realengo Station. It was included in the plans of some workers to acquire weapons and ammunition in favor of the workers' struggle, but they were denounced before the execution. The architectural and landscape complex is listed by the city hall.
 

Photo: Thiago Diniz

Urbanization and commerce in Realengo developed with a focus on meeting the needs of the military, with restaurants, guesthouses, tailoring shops, laundries and home rentals. The areas next to the railway line belonged to the Ministry of War, so there were few to install establishments of this type. This gave Realengo a different configuration from most suburban neighborhoods, in which commercial establishments were normally located around the stations. Instead, it expanded along the old Caminho Imperial, now Avenida Santa Cruz.
 

At the request of the brothers Manoel and João Fernandes Barata, owners of the extensive Piraquara Farm, one of the most productive in the region, the chapel was built around 1758 and destroyed in 1908 because it was in ruins. This is a reconstruction. The first vicar, Father Miguel, was honored with the name of the neighboring neighborhood. Oral tradition tells that Dom Pedro I's entourage, heading to the Imperial Farm of Santa Cruz, stopped at the chapel's stone fountain to quench the horses' thirst.

Photo: Thiago Diniz
 

In the 20th century, cinema became a cultural manifestation of industrial and technological society and the main means of mass communication for government ideological propaganda. Throughout the city there were street cinemas like this one in art deco architectural style. In the suburbs, so-called “dust cinemas” were very common, without the same sophistication as those located in the Center and South Zone. Over time they disappeared and many became church headquarters.
 

Scheduled to open in 2024, the Realengo Park named by Journalist Susana Naspolini was claimed years ago by the Realengo Verde Park Movement of residents who designed an ecological, leisure and cultural space on the abandoned and degraded land of 142 thousand square meters that also belonged the old Cartridge Factory. An alternative for the occupation and preservation of the population's heritage, instead of ceding the area for real estate speculation.
 

The perception of Rio's viaducts was completely redefined in the suburbs, creatively reinventing the occupation of public spaces and transforming them into cultural hubs. The most famous example is the Madureira Viaduct. In Realengo, since 2013 it has been a symbol of the fight for the right to culture, the environment and the city. There are music, art, graffiti, rhyme battles, skateboarding, workshops, film clubs, sports initiatives and sustainable practices.
 

Photo: Thiago Diniz