Paris Square (Rio De Janeiro)
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Paris Square ( Portuguese: ''Praça Paris'') is located in the Glória neighborhood, in the Brazilian city 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 ...
. Designed by French urban planner Alfred Agache, it was built on an embankment in 1926 during the administration of Mayor Antônio Prado Júnior. The project reproduced the layout of a typical Parisian garden and included a large number of large almond trees, works of art and sculptures. It originally extended from Rio Branco and Beira Mar avenues to Glória Street, but was reduced to accommodate the Marechal Deodoro da Fonseca Square. During the construction of the subway, the site was completely destroyed. In 1992 it was restored and reopened with railings to ensure its preservation. It is a popular destination for sportspeople and hikers, as the dirt road provides a good base for running. It is policed by the municipal guard and military police during the day and at night.


Sculptures


Bust of Alfredo Agache

In 1922, the sculptor Heitor Usai produced a bust of Alfredo Agache on behalf of the Association of Brazilian Artists (''Associação dos Artistas Brasileiros''), the Engineering Club (''Clube de Engenharia)'' and the Brazilian Council of Architecture and Urbanism (''Conselho de Arquitetura e Urbanismo do Brasil'').


Monument to Adolfo Varnhagen

Inaugurated on October 21, 1938, the monument to Adolfo Varnhagen was created in celebration of the centenary of the foundation of the
Brazilian Historic and Geographic Institute The Brazilian Historic and Geographic Institute (, IHGB), founded on 21 October 1838, is the oldest and traditional authority to promote research and preservation of historical and geographical, cultural and social sciences in Brazil. Its creation ...
(''Instituto Histórico e Geográfico Brasileiro''), where he served as first secretary. It was designed by sculptor
José Otávio Correia Lima José is a predominantly Spanish and Portuguese form of the given name Joseph. While spelled alike, this name is pronounced very differently in each of the two languages: Spanish ; Portuguese (or ). In French, the name ''José'', pronounced , ...
.


Monument to Admiral Barroso

It was sculpted by José Otávio Correia de Lima and inaugurated in Luís de Camões Square on November 19, 1909. During the construction of the subway, the monument was relocated to Paris Square, where it has remained ever since. It has the following captions: "''Riachuelo XI de junho de MDCCCLXV''" (
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...
: "Riachuelo June 11th, MDCCCLXV") and "''Ao Almirante Barroso - a Nação''" ("To Admiral Barroso - the Nation"). His remains are placed at the base of the monument.


Sculptures in Carrara marble

The square has six sculptures in
Carrara marble Carrara marble, or Luna marble (''marmor lunense'') to the Romans, is a type of white or blue-grey marble popular for use in sculpture and building decor. It has been quarried since Roman times in the mountains just outside the city of Carrara ...
; four of them represent the seasons: summer, fall, winter and spring. They were based on the sculptures ''Circé'' by Laurent Magnier and ''L’Hiver'' by Jean-Baptiste Théodon, located in the
Gardens of Versailles The Gardens of Versailles ( ) occupy part of what was once the ''Domaine royal de Versailles'', the royal demesne of the Palace of Versailles, château of Versailles. Situated to the west of the Palace of Versailles, palace, the gardens cover so ...
in France. The site also features feline statues that are replicas of ''La lionne couchée'' and ''La lionne à l'affût'' by the French artist and sculptor François Auguste Hippolyte Peyrol. They were sculpted life-size in 1906.


Bust of Vera Janacopulos

The monument to
Vera Janacópulos Vera Janacópulos (20 December 1886 or 1892 – 5 December 1955) was a Brazilian soprano singer, popular in the first half of the 20th century. Life and career Vera Janacópulos was born in Petrópolis, in a family of Greek descent. She was ni ...
was produced between 1957 and 1958 by her sister,
Adriana Janacópulos Adriana Janacópulos (1897 - c. 1978) was a 20th-century Brazilian sculptor. Biography Adriana Janacopulos was born in Petrópolis Rio de Janeiro in 1897. Of Greek descent, she was the niece of the politician Pandiá Calógeras. After the deat ...
, in order to pay homage. Adriana was educated in Europe and began her career as a sculptor in Paris, exhibiting in several salons in the 1920s. In 1932, she returned to Brazil to live in Rio de Janeiro. At the end of the Vargas era, she dedicated herself to smaller monuments, isolating herself until she was forgotten. Vera Janacópulos was an important interpreter. In 1914, she sang for the first time in a concert by the Brazilian baritone Carlos Carvalho. During the World War I, she performed at charity concerts. By 1940, she was touring Europe, America and Oceania. From then on, she devoted herself to teaching art.


Fountain

The 1600 square meter fountain was designed by French urban planner Alfred Agache and inaugurated in 1929. The monument was closed for seven years and was re-opened in October 2010. Cracks and leaks in the internal lining were repaired and new submerged pumps and a new spout pipe, which had been stolen, were installed, allowing the central spout to reach 15 meters. The fountain and its four dolphins, like the rest of the square, was inspired by the Garden of Versailles, which also has a fountain designed by
André Le Nôtre André Le Nôtre (; 12 March 1613 – 15 September 1700), originally rendered as André Le Nostre, was a French landscape architect and the principal gardener of King Louis XIV of France. He was the landscape architect who designed Gardens ...
.


Bust of Carmen Gomes

Carmen Gomes, a lyric soprano singer who studied at the School of Music of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (''Escola de Música da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro''), debuted at the Municipal Theater in Rio de Janeiro with a performance of ''Tosca''. Wife of Elias Reis e Silva, she became famous for her musical career in Brazil and in
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
for performing Italian repertoire.


Effigy of Reis e Silva

Elias Reis e Silva, husband of Carmen Gomes, is one of Brazil's leading tenors. The sculpture was made by
Rodolfo Bernardelli José Maria Oscar Rodolfo Bernardelli y Thierry (18 December 1852 – 7 April 1931) was a Mexican-born Brazilian sculptor and art professor, of Italian ancestry. Biography He was the oldest of four children born to a violinist and a dancer. His ...
, a Mexican sculptor and teacher who became a naturalized Brazilian citizen.


Bust of Clóvis Beviláqua

Clóvis Bevilaqua, a lawyer from
Ceará Ceará (, ) is one of the 26 states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, northeastern part of the country, on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. It is the List of Brazilian states by population, eighth-largest Brazilian State by ...
, was the founding member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters who organized the draft of the
Brazilian Civil Code The current Brazilian Civil Code (Law 10.406 of January 10, 2002) has been in force since January 11 or 12, 2003, after its one-year ''vacatio legis''. The first version dates from 1916, after the publication of Law No. 3,071 of the same year. S ...
and represented Brazil at the Hague Tribunal. The monument was created by Honório Peçanha and inaugurated in December 1943.


Bust of Affonso Celso

Count of Affonso Celso, also a founding member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters, was born in
Minas Gerais Minas Gerais () is one of the 27 federative units of Brazil, being the fourth largest state by area and the second largest in number of inhabitants with a population of 20,539,989 according to the 2022 Brazilian census, 2022 census. Located in ...
. He was politician, professor, journalist, historian and writer. The sculpture was made by L. Ramos and inaugurated on January 31, 1960.


See also

* Largo do Machado *
Flamengo Park Flamengo Park, also known as ''Aterro do Flamengo'', Eduardo Gomes Park, and Aterro do Brigadeiro Eduardo Gomes, is the largest public park and recreation area within the city of Rio de Janeiro, in eastern Brazil, and the largest urban seaside ...
* Quinze de Novembro Square *
Largo do Boticário Largo may refer to: Music * ''Largo'' (Italian for 'wide', 'broad'), a very slow tempo, or a musical piece or movement in such a tempo * "Largo" from ''Xerxes'' arranged from "Ombra mai fu", the opening aria from Handel's opera ''Serse'' * Hugo ...


References

{{Portal bar, Brazil, Architecture Squares in Rio de Janeiro Squares in Brazil Geography of Rio de Janeiro (city) Parks in Rio de Janeiro (city) Urban public parks Gardens in Brazil