SOUTHEAST BRAZIL - Brazil - page 138

mock-Tudor.
Having suffered
large-scale demo-
lition after World
War II, the avenue
had lost its splendid
character by the
1960s. Today, only
one mansion rem-
ains, the French-
style Casa das
Rosas , which is
now a cultural
center managed
and run by São
Paulo state.
Interesting art
shows are occa-
sionally held here,
but the 1935
mansion itself is
well worth visiting
for its pretty rose
garden and Art
Nouveau stained-
glass window.
There are a few
other sights of interest along
the street. The Instituto Itaú
Cultural , near Brigadeiro
metro station, hosts a range of
concerts and exhibitions, all
of which are free of charge.
It also houses the largest
currency museum in the coun-
try, the Itaú Numismática.
The Centro Cultural FIESP , at
Trianon-Masp, is a business
headquarters with a small
Centro Cultural that presents
free live theater and hosts
occasional art shows.
Immediately to its north and
opposite MASP is the Parque
Trianon , the only green
respite from the concrete.
It was named in homage to
the gardens of the Palace of
Versailles, to which it bears
no resemblance. However, in
the quiet of the early morning,
small mammals, including
agouti and marmosets, can be

seen foraging here, and in
the heat of the day, the trees
provide welcome shade.
There are plenty of cinemas
in and around Paulista, along
the avenue itself, in the
Shopping Paulista Mall, near
Brigadeiro metro, and dotted
along Rua da Consolação,
near Paulista's northern end.
Together with the Praça da
Sé (see p138) , Paulista is one
of the city's most important
venues for protests and cele-
brations. Brazil's World Cup
soccer victories see the
avenue packed with millions
of cheering, shirtless fans.
In June, the world's largest
Gay Pride (see p43) march
takes place here. During this
prominent public event, as
many as 2 million Brazilians
and foreigners dance samba
behind enormous decorated
floats that are topped with
outlandishly dressed trans-
vestite dancers.
For a taste of Avenida
Paulista as it once was,
head a few blocks south,
across the chic shopping
streets of the Jardins and
into Jardim Europa. Here,
along Avenida Brasil and
Avenida Groenlandia, the
stately homes of the city's
current rich can be seen.
P Casa das Rosas
Av Paulista 37. Tel [phone].
# 10am-10pm Tue-Fri,
10am-6pm Sat-Sun.
E Centro Cultural FIESP
Av Paulista 1313.
Tel [phone].
E Instituto Itaú Cultural
Av Paulista 149. Tel [phone]
1777. # 10am-9pm Tue-Fri,
10am-7pm Sat & Sun. ^
Y Parque Trianon
Rua Peixoto Gomide 949.
# 6am-6pm daily.

Aerial view of the exclusive Avenida Paulista

Avenida Paulista y
Map 4 E2, 4 F2, 4 F3 .
Q Brigadeiro/Trianon-Masp/
Rebourças. _ Gay Pride (Jun).

Modern São Paulo's first
symbol of prosperity, Avenida
Paulista and its crowded
skyscrapers continue to attest
to Brazil's status as South
America's major economic
power. Though often
compared to New York's
Fifth Avenue, it is actually a
corporate valley, business-like
and functional.
In the 19th century, when
a Uruguayan named Joaquin
Eugenio de Lima first set up
house here, Paulista was a
hill on the outskirts of a small
colonial town surrounded
by pastoral land and forest.
Around this time, São Paulo
was growing rich on trains
and coffee. Others followed
de Lima and began to build
large houses here.
By the turn of the 19th
century, the avenue had
become São Paulo's most
desirable address, and was
lined with large, opulent
mansions owned by
extremely wealthy Brazilian
moguls, or the coffee barons.
Each mansion reflected the
architectural predilections
of the owner, be it Neo-
Classical, Rhineland, or even

Parque Trianon, with its lush greenery, on Avenida Paulista

For hotels and restaurants in this region see p374 and pp399-401