SOUTHEAST BRAZIL - Brazil - page 79

the department finally moved
to Brasília. The palace was
named for the man who built
it, the Baron of Itamaraty. Its
close links with the Foreign
Service over a period of six
decades has made the name
“Itamaraty” synonymous with
the Brazilian Foreign Office.
The palace's most notable
resident was a foreign min-
ister, José Maria da Silva
Paranhos (1845-1912), the
Baron of Rio Branco, an
outstanding statesman who
helped shape South America
as we know it today.
Presently, the Itamaraty
Palace houses the Museu
Histórico e Diplomático
(Diplomatic and Historical
Museum), established in 1955.
Tours of the palace and the
museum reveal some of the
Foreign Service's most impor-
tant treasures, many of which,
including furniture and paint-
ings, date from the 19th
century. There is also an
archive of historic documents,
as well as the Foreign Office's
prized collection of maps.

The Sambódromo, venue of Rio's annual Carnaval

Palácio Itamaraty z
Av Marechal Floriano 196, Centro.
Map 4 B3. Tel [phone].
q

time for the 1984 Carnaval.
In order to complement
the Sambódromo, a large
complex, known as the
Cidade do Samba (City of
Samba), was established in
2005. This space is used by
the main samba schools to
build their floats and make
their vibrant costumes.
Throughout the year,
visitors are allowed in to
watch the preparations and
see how a samba school
puts on its parade.

Palácio Itamaraty . # 1-4pm

Mon, Wed & Fri. 8 2pm, 3pm &

4pm daily.

The Itamaraty Palace, a rare
example of Neo-Classical
architecture in Rio, was built
between 1852 and 1853. It
acted as the headquarters of
the Brazilian Foreign Service
from 1899 until 1970, when

RIO'S FAVELAS
As much a part of the city's landscape as Corcovado and Sugar Loaf, Rio's favelas are
famous, lately due to their prominence in Fernando Meirelles' 2002 film, Cidade de Deus
(City of God). They are often erroneously referred to as slums, and while some are, the
majority are simply Rio's main areas of poor housing. What started as one or two shacks
on a hillside has slowly grown into cities in their own right. Estimates suggest that there are
now as many as 800 favelas in Rio, and up to 20 percent of the city's population may now
live in these areas. Some favelas have grown
to giant communities, such as Rocinha in São
Conrado, with over 150,000 residents. Others,
such as Pavão, Cantagalo, Vidigal, and Chapéu
Mangueira, are strategically located in hilly
Zona Sul areas offering breathtaking views.
Favelas are complex and vibrant
communities, deriving their name from the
hardy favela plant. Many still have drug lords
who run boca de fumos , where narcotics are
openly sold and violence is not uncommon.
However, people's conceptions that these
ghettos are dangerous warrens full of crim-
inals simply is not true, as the majority of
people who live here are law-abiding citizens
working in low-paying jobs. That said, it is
still advisable only to visit these areas as part
of a guided tour. There are now several good
tours on offer. The most traditional tour is
organized by Marcelo Armstrong, who was
brought up in an apartment block adjoining
the Vila Canoas favela . He and his team have
been escorting visitors around Vila Canoas
and Rocinha since 1992. The tours offer
valuable insights into the lives of thousands
of Rio's less privileged citizens.

Rocinha, located in São Conrado, one of Rio's largest
and most complex favelas