Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
1
bear in mind that lots of the old historical squares, streets and buildings disappeared in
the twentieth century under a torrent of redevelopment, and fighting your way through
the tra
c - the reason many of the streets were widened in the first place - can be
quite a daunting prospect. However, while much of what remains is decidedly low-key,
there are enough points of interest to keep anybody happy for a day or two. The
cultural influences that have shaped the city - the austere Catholicism of the city's
European founders, the squalor of colonialism and the grandiose design of the
Enlightenment - are all reflected in the surviving churches, streets and squares.
Praça XV de Novembro
M
Carioca or Uruguaiana
Once the hub of Rio's social and political life,
Praça XV de Novembro
takes its name
from the day (Nov 15) in 1899 when Marechal Deodoro da Fonseca, the first
president, proclaimed the Republic of Brazil. One of Rio's oldest
markets
is held in
the square on Thursdays and Fridays (8am-6pm): the stalls are packed with typical
foods, handicrafts and ceramics, and there are paintings and prints, as well as a brisk
trade in stamps and coins.
The Paço Imperial
Praça XV de Novembro • Tues-Sun noon-6pm • Free •
T
21 2533 4207 •
M
Carioca
Praça XV de Novembro was originally called the Largo do Paço, a name that survives
in the imposing
Paço Imperial
. Built in 1743, though tinkered with over the years,
until 1791 the building served as the palace of Portugal's colonial governors in Rio.
It was here, in 1808, that the Portuguese monarch, Dom João VI, established his
Brazilian court (later shifting to the Palácio da Quinta da Boa Vista, now the Museu
Nacional), and the building continued to be used for royal receptions and special
occasions. On May 13, 1888, Princess Isabel proclaimed the end of slavery in Brazil
from here. Today, the Paço Imperial hosts installations and other modern art
exhibitions. On the ground floor, there's a café and a restaurant.
Arco de Teles
M
Carioca and Uruguaiana
On the northern side of Praça XV de Novembro, the
Arco de Teles
was named after the
judge and landowner Francisco Teles de Meneza, who ordered its construction upon
the site of the old
pelourinho
(pillory) around 1755. More an arcade than an arch, the
arco
is connected to Rua Ouvidor by the Travessa do Comércio, a narrow cobblestoned
alley which still boasts some charming nineteenth-century buildings.
Palácio Tiradentes
Rua Primeiro de Março and Rua da Assembléia • Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun & public holidays noon-5pm • Free •
T
21 2588 1000,
W
alerj.rj.gov.br •
M
Carioca
Behind the Paço Imperial, the
Palácio Tiradentes
is a very grand neoclassical building
dating from 1926. In front of it stands a 4.5m-tall statue of Tiradentes, who was slung
into a prison on this very spot following the betrayal of the Inconfidência Mineira in
1789 (see p.637) and held here until his execution three years later. Guides escort you
round the building, which is now the seat of Rio's state government.
Antiga Sé
Rua Sete de Setembro 14 and Rua Primero de Março • Mon-Fri 7am-3.20pm, Sat 10am-2pm; guided tours every 30min • R$5 •
T
21 2221 0501 •
M
Carioca
On the west side of Praça XV de Novembro, the
Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Carmo
, or
Antiga Sé
, served until 1980 as Rio's cathedral. Construction started in 1749 and, to all
intents and purposes, continued into the twentieth century as structural collapse and
financial di
culties necessitated several restorations and delays. The present tower, for
