Centro (Downtown, lit. "Center") is a neighborhood in the
Central Region of
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of the same name, Brazil's List of Brazilian states by population, third-most populous state, and the List of largest citi ...
,
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
. 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,
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 (; French for "Beautiful Epoch") is a period of French and European history, usually considered to begin around 1871–1880 and to end with the outbreak of World War I in 1914. Occurring during the era o ...
'' 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. 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,
Eletrobras,
BNDES and
Vale. 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