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The Morro da Babilônia (, ''Babylon Hill'') is a hill in the Leme neighbourhood of
, Cristina Romanelli, Revista de História, October 26, 2010 In the beginning of the 20th century, the engineer Augusto Ferreira Ramos, projected a connection of Babilônia hill with Urca Hill, as part of the festivities of Centenary of Ports Opening.As diferentes faces do ‘louco’ que criou o bondinho do Pão de Açúcar
O Globo, October 20, 2012 This project never went from paper to reality. In 1930, the hill was mentioned in one of poems in the ''Libertinagem'' collection by
Edônio Alves do Nascimento, Tematica, August 20, 2005 The Morro da Babilônia favela was founded at the end of the 19th century, when the army set up an observation post on the hill in Leme. Ordinary soldiers built the first shacks to stay on the hill. Later they were joined by construction workers that built the tunnels between the old city centre and Copacabana and Leme, as well as the tramway in the two neighbourhoods, as part of the once extensive Rio de Janeiro tramway system. The occupation of the favela really took off in the 1930s when construction workers building apartment complexes in the neighbourhood settled in the area.Democracia nas favelas
, O Globo multimedia special There are two versions about the origin of the name of the favela. One is that the area evoked images of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the
Latin American Herald Tribune, July 10, 2009
After UPP arrival in 2009 the neighbourhood started to become more and more popular among tourists, which started a process of
NPR, June 6, 2013 From the top, from the stone, there is a beautiful view and enough space to sit and watch the view of the
NPR, May 31, 2016 However, conditions worsened over the years and in April 2016 a rival gang from the neighboring favela tried to take control from the group that controls the drugs in Babilônia.
Mural Babilônia started to be created in January 2014. The first urban intervention, the main mosaic, covers approximately 140 square meters of a retention wall constructed by the city. It is located at the bottom of Babilônia favela. It was designed and created by plastic artists from Czech Republic, X-Dog and Plebe, with the help of dozens of voluntaries from all around the world.
The second intervention brought to life a concrete bench with mosaic finishes. It was created on a spot that serves as a natural meeting point. Over time other mosaics appeared in the area, improving the visual and confirming Mural Babilônia as a tourist reference point in Zona Sul of Rio de Janeiro. Among them, the lamp posts "Dark girl" and "The Flag" stand out, together with an educational slogan "Education is what you do when no one looks." A stairway, very basic, was completely reconstructed and it also received a mosaic finish.
Movie palace
''The Guardian'', January 14, 2006 The film later won
The Morro da Babilônia (, ''Babylon Hill'') is a hill in the Leme neighbourhood of Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a ...
, separating Copacabana beach from Botafogo
Botafogo (local/standard alternative Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation: ) is a beachfront neighborhood ('' bairro'') in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is a mostly upper middle class and small commerce community, and is located between the hills of ...
. It is home to a ''favela
Favela () is an umbrella name for several types of working-class neighborhoods in Brazil. The term was first used in the Providência neighborhood in the center of Rio de Janeiro in the late 19th century, which was built by soldiers who had ...
'' known by the same name, as well as the favela Chapéu Mangueira. Morro da Babilônia is an environmentally protected area.
History
In the 18th century the Portuguese constructed a fortress on the top of the hill to protect the entrance toGuanabara Bay
Guanabara Bay ( pt, Baía de Guanabara, ) is an oceanic bay located in Southeast Brazil in the state of Rio de Janeiro. On its western shore lie the cities of Rio de Janeiro and Duque de Caxias, and on its eastern shore the cities of Niterói a ...
.Na trilha das lendas, Cristina Romanelli, Revista de História, October 26, 2010 In the beginning of the 20th century, the engineer Augusto Ferreira Ramos, projected a connection of Babilônia hill with Urca Hill, as part of the festivities of Centenary of Ports Opening.As diferentes faces do ‘louco’ que criou o bondinho do Pão de Açúcar
O Globo, October 20, 2012 This project never went from paper to reality. In 1930, the hill was mentioned in one of poems in the ''Libertinagem'' collection by
Manuel Bandeira
Manuel Carneiro de Sousa Bandeira Filho (April 19, 1886 – October 13, 1968) was a Brazilian poet, literary critic, and translator, who wrote over 20 books of poetry and prose.
Life and career
Bandeira was born in Recife, Pernambuco. In 190 ...
.A poesia do jornalismo e o jornalismo na poesia: o tema em Manuel BandeiraEdônio Alves do Nascimento, Tematica, August 20, 2005 The Morro da Babilônia favela was founded at the end of the 19th century, when the army set up an observation post on the hill in Leme. Ordinary soldiers built the first shacks to stay on the hill. Later they were joined by construction workers that built the tunnels between the old city centre and Copacabana and Leme, as well as the tramway in the two neighbourhoods, as part of the once extensive Rio de Janeiro tramway system. The occupation of the favela really took off in the 1930s when construction workers building apartment complexes in the neighbourhood settled in the area.Democracia nas favelas
, O Globo multimedia special There are two versions about the origin of the name of the favela. One is that the area evoked images of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the
Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, also known as the Seven Wonders of the World or simply the Seven Wonders, is a list of seven notable structures present during classical antiquity. The first known list of seven wonders dates back to the 2 ...
, with the soldiers who first settled there. The other explanation is that at the nearby tramway station (which has disappeared) the brewery Brahma
Brahma ( sa, ब्रह्मा, Brahmā) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the trinity of supreme divinity that includes Vishnu, and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 21 ...
had a bar that sold a beer with the name Babilônia.
In the 2nd World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
(1939 - 1945) the Brazilian Army constructed casemates on the top of the hill to protect the city against eventual attacks. According to a census in 2000 1,426 people lived in the favela which counted 380 houses and shacks. However, according to the dwellers association of Babilônia there are 3,000 inhabitants and 800 dwellings. There are 18 streets that have been assigned names.
Babilônia has been controlled for years by drug traffickers linked to the Terceiro Comando (Third Command) organization, which imposed its rules by force on the community. In addition to controlling the illegal drug trade, the gunmen monopolized other services like the supply of cooking-gas cylinders and imposed rules on the population such as the times when they could come and go and the law of silence. In June 2009, police occupied the area without firing a shot. The intention is to make Babilonia into a model community by installing Police Pacification Units.Without Firing a Shot, Cops Chase Drug Dealers from Rio SlumLatin American Herald Tribune, July 10, 2009
Pacification
After UPP arrival in 2009 the neighbourhood started to become more and more popular among tourists, which started a process of gentrification
Gentrification is the process of changing the character of a neighborhood through the influx of more affluent residents and businesses. It is a common and controversial topic in urban politics and planning. Gentrification often increases the ec ...
.Once Unsafe, Rio's Shantytowns See Rapid GentrificationNPR, June 6, 2013 From the top, from the stone, there is a beautiful view and enough space to sit and watch the view of the
Flamengo
Clube de Regatas do Flamengo (; English: ''Flamengo Rowing Club''), more commonly referred to as simply Flamengo, is a Brazilian sports club based in Rio de Janeiro, in the neighborhood of Gávea, best known for their professional football ...
, on the one hand, the Red Beach and an unusual angle of Sugarloaf
A sugarloaf was the usual form in which refined sugar was produced and sold until the late 19th century, when granulated and cube sugars were introduced. A tall cone with a rounded top was the end product of a process in which dark molasses, a r ...
on the other. One of the effects that the pacification of favelas had, besides the general improvement of safety in the city, was that the hills became the destination of hikes. Babilonia became one of the so-called ''Disneyland favelas'' which were visited by dignitaries and the media to show the improved conditions after the installation of the UPP.As Olympics Near, Violence Grips Rio's 'Pacified' FavelasNPR, May 31, 2016 However, conditions worsened over the years and in April 2016 a rival gang from the neighboring favela tried to take control from the group that controls the drugs in Babilônia.
Mural Babilônia
Mural Babilônia started to be created in January 2014. The first urban intervention, the main mosaic, covers approximately 140 square meters of a retention wall constructed by the city. It is located at the bottom of Babilônia favela. It was designed and created by plastic artists from Czech Republic, X-Dog and Plebe, with the help of dozens of voluntaries from all around the world.
The second intervention brought to life a concrete bench with mosaic finishes. It was created on a spot that serves as a natural meeting point. Over time other mosaics appeared in the area, improving the visual and confirming Mural Babilônia as a tourist reference point in Zona Sul of Rio de Janeiro. Among them, the lamp posts "Dark girl" and "The Flag" stand out, together with an educational slogan "Education is what you do when no one looks." A stairway, very basic, was completely reconstructed and it also received a mosaic finish.
Babilônia in film
In 1959 large tracts of the award-winning French-Brazilian film ''Orfeu Negro
''Black Orpheus'' (Portuguese: ''Orfeu Negro'' ) is a 1959 romantic tragedy film made in Brazil by French director Marcel Camus and starring Marpessa Dawn and Breno Mello. It is based on the play '' Orfeu da Conceição'' by Vinicius de Mora ...
'' (Black Orpheus) (1959) were shot in Babilônia.''The Guardian'', January 14, 2006
Golden Palm
The Palme d'Or (; en, Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festival's highest prize was the Grand Prix du Fe ...
, in Cannes film festival in the same year and Oscar
Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to:
People
* Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms.
* Oscar (Irish mythology) ...
for the best foreign movie in 1960.
The film ''Tropa de Elite
''Elite Squad'' ( pt, Tropa de Elite, ) is a 2007 Brazilian crime film based on the novel '' Elite da Tropa'' by Luiz Eduardo Soares, André Batista, and Rodrigo Pimentel. Directed by José Padilha from a screenplay by Padilha, Bráulio Mant ...
'' (2007) is about the police actions in Babilônia in 1997, before the visit of the pope to Rio de Janeiro, when the elite squad BOPE (Special Police Operation Battalion) is assigned to eliminate the risks of the drug dealers in a dangerous slum nearby where the pope intends to be lodged.
It is referenced in season 3 opening of the TV show Lillyhammer.
Babilônia has been home to the Estúdio Vertical film and TV facility since it construction in the late 70s. After a renovation, Estúdio Vertical has reopened and features a purpose-built 8mx6mx4m U-shaped seamless blank cyclorama for photography, video and multi-camera TV production.
The 2014 novela '' Babilônia'' is set in Babilônia.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Morro da Babilonia Favelas Geography of Rio de Janeiro (city)