Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Botecos
The little restaurants and bars that
dot the city from Ipanema to the
center are called
botecos
or
botequins
. All are busy with
waiters rushing around carrying
glasses of frothy ice-cold beer
and light snacks. The most
famous
boteco
in the center is
Bar Luíz
(see p47)
and on the
beaches it is Bar do Vinícius
(see
p47),
the birthplace of
bossa nova
in the early 1960s.
Interior of Candelária Church
%
Igreja Santo Antônio
Rio's second-oldest convent
is set in a series of beautiful
colonial churches on a hill over-
looking the pedestrian-only Largo
da Carioca. The bright interior is
decorated with tiles and statues
of St. Anthony. Women are often
seen praying to the saint, who is
said to be a provider of husbands.
d
Map W3 • Largo da Carioca
s/n • (021) 2262 0129 • Open 7:30am-
7:30pm Mon-Fri, 7:30-11am Sat
Fonseca in 1976-84. The
basement houses a Sacred Art
Museum preserving age-old
artifacts of the Portuguese royal
family.
d
Map W4 • Av República do
Chile • (021) 2240 2669 • Open 7am-5pm
daily • www.catedral.com.br
&
Candelária Church
This grand Italianate temple
has long been the church of
choice for high-society Rio.
Built between 1775 and 1894,
the church was modeled on
the Basilica de Estrela in Lisbon
and the marble for the interior
was shipped from Verona. The
Candelária gets its name from
a chapel built in homage to Our
Lady of Candles, which stood on
the same site from 1610.
d
Map
W2 • Praca Pio X • (021) 2233 2324 •
Open 8am-4pm Mon-Fri, 8am-noon Sat,
9am-1pm Sun
^
Catedral Metropolitana
de São Sebastião
Often falsely attributed to
Brazil's most famous modernist
architect, Oscar Niemeyer
(see
p68)
, the cathedral was actually
built by Edgar de Oliveira da
*
Real Gabinete
Português de Leitura
This splendid library is a hidden
treasure in the city center. The
Manueline style evolved in
Portugal in the 15th century and
is unique because of its Islamic
influences and nautical motifs.
The library was built in the 19th
century by the Portuguese archi-
tect Rafael da Silva e Castro, and
is thought to house the biggest
Stained glass at Catedral Metropolitana
60
