Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
much of the original furniture
is made of Brazilian jacaranda
wood. Visitors can savor the
atmosphere of Rio's past by eat-
ing a snack in the Bar Jardim,
or a meal at the restaurant.
Standing 248 ft (75 m) high
with no interior columns, this
huge cathedral has a seating
capacity of 5,000 and can
accommodate up to 20,000
people standing. The interior
is dominated by four magnif-
icent stained-glass windows
that stretch 197 ft (60 m) to
the ceiling. They represent the
apostolic (yellow), Catholic
(blue), ecclesiastical (green),
and saintly (red) traditions.
The
Museu Arquidiocesano
de Arte Sacra
(Sacred Art
Museum) in the basement
includes historical items in
its collection, such as the
baptismal fonts used for
christening the Brazilian royal
family, the golden rose gifted
to Princess Isabel by Pope Leo
XIII to celebrate her signing
the abolition of slavery, and
the throne of Dom Pedro II.
Theatro Municipal
& Cinelândia
6
Av Rio Branco, Centro.
Map
5 D4.
Tel
(021) 2332 9195.
q
Cinelândia.
8
7
www
.theatromunicipal.rj.
gov.br
Rio's Municipal Theater,
built between 1905 and
1909, is the main venue
for the city's ballet, opera,
and orchestra (including
the Brazilian Symphony
Orchestra), and continues
to attract the very best talent
from both Brazil and abroad.
Illustrious names include
Nijinsky, Sarah Bernhard,
Anna Pavlova, and Luciano
Pavarotti, to name just a few.
Farther south along Avenida
Rio Branco is the heart of
Cinelândia or “cinema land,”
the area around which the
city's movie houses sprang up
in the 1920s. Many are still
in operation, most notably
the Cine Odeon BR which
opened in 1926 and closed
in 1999 to be renovated. It
reopened a year later as the
headquarters of the Rio Film
Festival. Other buildings in
the area include the Museu
Nacional de Belas Artes
(see
p74)
, Biblioteca Nacional, and
Palácio Pedro Ernesto.
Stained-glass window at the
Catedral Metropolitana
Catedral
Metropolitana
7
Av República do Chile 245, Centro.
Map
5 D4
.
Tel
(021) 2240 2669.
q
Lapa
8
Lapa, Centro.
Cinelândia.
#
7:30am-6pm
daily.
11am Mon-Fri, 10am
Sat & Sun.
Museu Arquidiocesano
de Arte Sacra
7
5
q
Carioca.
10am-4pm Wed,
Sat & Sun (other days by appt only).
7
#
The most famous image
of the area known as Lapa
is the
Arcos da Lapa
, an
aqueduct built in 1724 to
bring water down from the
Santa Teresa forest to the
public fountain in Largo da
Carioca. In 1896, it became
the base for the viaduct
that carries streetcars to
and from the city center.
Lapa has always had a
slightly bohemian feel and
during the first half of the
1900s was the center of Rio's
alternative nightlife. The area
still boasts a vibrant nightlife,
attracting people from all over
the city who come looking for
the best of Brazilian music.
Key hot spots include Rio
Scenarium, Carioca de Gema,
and Dama da Noite. In 2004,
the area saw the return of the
Circo Voador
(Flying Circus),
now held in a purpose-built
music venue that replaced the
earlier tent of the 1980s and
early 1990s. Many of the
leading names in contem-
porary Brazilian music -
including Seu Jorge - got their
first break at the Circo Voador.
F
Circo Voador
Rua dos Arcos, Lapa.
Tel
(021) 2533
0354.
www
.catedral.com.br
Rio's striking Metropolitan
Cathedral, with its truncated
conical shape, was concept-
ualized by Ivo Calliari (1918-
2005), a Catholic priest.
The cathedral's first stone
was laid on January 20, 1964,
and the inauguration of the
still unfinished building was
held 12 years later, in 1976,
marking the 300th anniversary
of the Diocese of Rio.
#
for shows only.
&
7
Opulent façade of the Theatro Municipal
