Centro (Downtown, lit. "Center") is a neighborhood in the Central Region of

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

. It represents the financial heart of the city, and the crux of the Central Region.

Characteristics

Despite still having a large number of residences, the neighborhood is predominantly commercial with a mixture of historical buildings as well as modern skyscrapers. Residential areas lie mainly along Rua do Riachuelo and Castelo. The historic and financial centre of the city, sites of interest include the

Paço Imperial The Paço Imperial (), or Imperial Palace, previously known as the Royal Palace of Rio de Janeiro and Palace of the Viceroys, is a historic building in the center of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Paço Imperial was built in the 18th ce ...

, Candelária Church, the Old Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro, and the modern-style Saint Sebastian's Cathedral. Around Marechal Floriano Square, there are several landmarks from the ''

Belle Époque The Belle Époque () or La Belle Époque () was a period of French and European history that began after the end of the Franco-Prussian War in 1871 and continued until the outbreak of World War I in 1914. Occurring during the era of the Fr ...

'' such as the Municipal Theatre and the National Library building. The Centro area also has several museums such as the National Museum of Fine Arts and the National Historical Museum. Other important historical attractions in downtown Rio include its Passeio Público, an 18th-century public garden, as well as the imposing arches of the Carioca Aqueduct and the Casa Cavé, the oldest confectionery in the city. A "bondinho" (tram) leaves from a station near Saint Sebastian's Cathedral, crosses the aqueduct (converted to a tram viaduct in 1896) and rambles through the hilly streets of the nearby Santa Tereza neighbourhood. Downtown remains the heart of the city's business community. Some of the largest companies in Brazil have their head offices here, including

Petrobras Petróleo Brasileiro S.A., better known by and Trade name, trading as the portmanteau Petrobras (), is a Brazilian state-owned enterprise, majority state-owned multinational corporation in the petroleum industry headquartered in Rio de Janeiro. ...

, Eletrobras,

BNDES The National Bank for Economic and Social Development or NBESD (, abbreviated: BNDES) is a development bank structured as a federal public company associated with the Ministry of the Economy of Brazil. The stated goal is to provide long-term f ...

and

Vale A vale is a type of valley. Vale may also refer to: Places Georgia * Vale, Georgia, a town in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region Norway * Våle, a historic municipality Portugal * Vale (Santa Maria da Feira), a former civil parish in the municip ...

. Most of Rio's skyscrapers, especially the tallest ones, are located in this neighbourhood. Crowded from Monday to Friday during regular work hours, it becomes empty during the evening and on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.

References

External links

* Neighbourhoods in Rio de Janeiro (city) {{RiodeJaneiro-geo-stub