Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
create a museum dedicated to the art of Rio. Exhibits include images of the city going
back to colonial times, along with nineteenth- and early twentieth-century paintings,
posters and postcards, and depictions of Rio on tourist souvenirs, as well as one of Paul
Landowski's models for the head of Cristo Redentor. In some ways, because it has so
many images of Rio as it was, it's more a museum about the history of Rio than a
museum of art, but either way it's well worth checking out, and the terrace has great
views over the port and Guanabara Bay.
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Igreja e Mosteiro de São Bento
Rua Dom Gereardo 68 (entrance at no. 40) • Daily 7am-5pm; Mass with Gregorian chant Sun 10am • Free
Looking down on the run-down (and, at night, not very safe)
bairro
of Saúde, the
Igreja
e Mosteiro de São Bento
was founded by Benedictine monks who arrived in Rio in 1586
by way of Bahia; building started in 1633, finishing nine years later. The facade displays
a pleasing architectural simplicity, its twin towers culminating in pyramid-shaped spires,
while the interior of the church is richly adorned in wonderfully sombre Baroque red and
gold. Images of saints cover the altars, and there are statues representing various popes
and bishops, work executed by the deft hand of Mestre Valentim. The late seventeenth-
century panels and paintings are particularly valuable examples of colonial art.
Igreja da Santa Rita
Rua Visconde de Inhaúma • Daily 8am-5pm • Free •
M
Uruguaiana
On the Largo Santa Rita, the
Igreja da Santa Rita
was built in 1721 on land previously
used as a burial ground for slaves. Its bell tower, tucked to one side, gives it a lopsided
look. From the outside, it's not one of Rio's more attractive churches, but the interior
stonework is a fine example of Rococo style, and it's magnificently decorated with a series
of panels, three on the high altar and eight on the ceiling. Painted by Ananias Correia do
Amaral, they depict scenes from the life of St Rita, a fifteenth-century Italian nun.
Saara
In the streets between Rua Uruguaiana and Rua Primeiro de Março lies the most
interesting concentration of stores in Rio, in the area known as
Saara
. Traditionally the
cheapest place to shop, it was originally peopled by Jewish and Arab merchants, who
moved into the area after a ban prohibiting their residence within the city limits was
lifted in the eighteenth century; in recent years, a new wave of Jewish and Arab business-
owners - along with, most recently, Chinese and Koreans - has moved here. The maze of
narrow streets is lined with stalls selling trinkets and stores offering everything from basic
beachware and handicraft items to expensive jewellery; additionally, the throngs of street
traders and folk musicians make it a lively place to visit. Particularly good buys here
include sports equipment, musical instruments and CDs.
Igreja de São Francisco de Paula
Largo de São Francisco de Paula • Mon-Fri 9am-4.50pm • Free •
M
Uruguaiana
West of Rua Uruguaiana, on the
Largo de São Francisco de Paula
- a square that was
once a lake outside the city walls - the
Igreja de São Francisco de Paula
has hosted
some significant moments in Brazil's history. Behind the monumental carved wooden
entrance door the
Te Deum
was sung in 1816 to celebrate Brazil's promotion from
colony to kingdom, and in 1831, the Mass celebrating the “swearing-in” of the
Brazilian Constitution was performed here. The meticulous decoration of the chapel
of Nossa Senhora da Vitória (halfway down the north side) is attributed to the great
eighteenth-century Brazilian sculptor Mestre Valentim, who spent thirty years working
here, while the paintings on the walls were created by a slave called Manoel da Cunha.
With the consent of his owner, Manoel travelled to Europe as the assistant of the artist
João de Souza, and on his return bought his own freedom with money earned from the
sale of his artwork.
