The Northeast - The Rough Guide to Brazil - page 265

quality of the goods on offer here is high, but the multi-level interior, cells and metal
walkways are worth seeing, regardless of whether you want to shop.

Museu da Cidade
Av Dantas Barreto • Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 1-5pm • Free • T 81 3355 9543
Recife's Museu da Cidade occupies the star-shaped Forte das Cinco Pontas, built in
1630 by the Dutch but remodelled many times since then. Notable chiefly as the last
place where the Dutch surrendered in 1654, the structure is usually more interesting
than the temporary exhibits inside (often with an architectural theme, Portuguese
only), with a neat central Plaza da Armas and wide battlements on all sides.

Museu de Arte Moderna Aloísio Magalhães
Rua da Aurora 256, Boa Vista • Tues-Fri noon-6pm, Sat & Sun 1-5pm • Free • T 81 3355 6870, W mamam.art.br
Housed in a wonderfully restored nineteenth-century mansion in Boa Vista, just over
the Rio Capibaribe from Santo Antônio, the Museu de Arte Moderna Aloísio Magalhães
features prestigious travelling exhibitions of mainly Brazilian contemporary artists,
many among Pernambuco's best. Don't miss the painted tile mural by Ricardo
Brennand (see p.270) in the courtyard out the back, completed in 1965 and dubbed
“O Grande Sol”.

Bairro de Recife
Until only a few years ago, the Bairro do Recife (aka Recife Antigo ) was a dangerous,
run-down area inhabited mainly by drunks and prostitutes, but the investment of
millions by the local authorities and private businesses has brought about something of
a transformation in both the look and feel of the area. The grand, brightly painted belle
époque buildings here are quite spectacular, and it's a pleasant place to wander during
the day. In addition, the streets and praças are stocked with bars and cafés
(see pp.272-274), which are very busy at weekends and lunchtimes.

4

Centro Cultural Judaico
Rua do Bom Jesus 197 • Tues-Fri 9am-4.30pm, Sun 2-6pm • R$8 • T 81 3224 2128, W recife.info/centro-cultural-judaico.html
he Sinagoga Kahal Zur Israel or simply the Centro Cultural Judaico was the site of the
first synagogue built in the whole of the Americas; it dates back to 1639 when Jews
started coming to Dutch-controlled Brazil (the Dutch were remarkably tolerant of
Jews, considering the period). Sadly, once the Portuguese retook the city in 1654 the
Jews were booted out, and the synagogue was destroyed - today all that remains is the
foundation, the excavated Mikvah (ritual bath) and some original brick walls. Upstairs
there's a re-creation of what it might have looked like in its heyday (with Torah), plus
exhibits on the seventeenth-century community (Sephardic) and the Azkenazi Jews
who returned here in the nineteenth century. Some exhibits are labelled in English,
and there are usually English-speaking guides on hand.

Embaixada dos Bonecos Gigantes
Rua do Bom Jesus 183 • Daily 8am-6pm • R$10 • T 81 3441 5102, W bonecosgigantesdeolinda.com.br
he Embaixada dos Bonecos Gigantes is a small, quirky museum displaying some
of the giant puppets used in the Olinda Carnaval, many of them celebrities, from
Lampião to a scary-looking Michael Jackson. Informative guides add context, but
rarely speak English.

Marco Zero (Praça Barão Rio Branco)
Santander Cultural Av Rio Branco 23 • Tues-Sun 1-8pm • Free • T 81 3224 1110, W www.santandercultural.com.br Caixa Cultural Av
Alfredo Lisboa 505 • Tues-Sun 10am-7pm • Free • T 81 3425 1900, W www.caixacultural.com.br
Lying at the heart of the Bairro do Recife's regeneration is Praça Barão Rio Branco, known
simply as “ Marco Zero ” for the “Km 0” marker in the centre. Surrounding the plaza are