Rio de Janeiro is known worldwide as the Marvelous City due to its natural beauty, but who walks around those 451 years of history may not see more than 1,200 monuments in different artistic styles and stories that are placed in the most international tourist destination in Brazil. Let's find out a little bit more about some of them.
Christ the Redeemer
Christ the Redeemer is an art deco statue 30 meters high, made with reinforced concrete structure and soapstone. Its construction took nine years (between 1922 and 1931); the statue was designed by engineer Heitor da Silva Costa and sculpted by French Paul Landowski. Regarded as one of the new seven wonders of the world and included in the UNESCO Humanity Heritage List, the monument is in the Tijuca National Park, at the top of the Corcovado Mountain. Photo: Alexandre Macieira
Aerial View of Christ The Redeemer (1931)Rio de Janeiro Department of Conservation
Situated at 709 meters above sea level, it offers a privileged view of the city.
Big Arch
The Big Arch is a monument signed by Oscar Niemeyer at the end of the Sambadrome, at Marques de Sapucai Street. Nowadays, the area has become a symbol of the city and a place of conducting various events, shows, and even host the bow shooting competition and the arrival of the marathon at the Olympic Games in 2016. Photo: Alexandre Macieira
Chinese View
Built at the beginning of the 20th century as a tribute to the Chinese immigrants in Brazil, the Chinese View monument offers a panorama view of Rio’s South Zone. The trail to see one of the most beautiful peaks in town is made through Floresta da Tijuca, one of the largest rain forest parks of the country, and has an easy access totally paved to the gazebo.
Chinese View Pagoda (1903) by Paulo VillonRio de Janeiro Department of Conservation
The gazebo is made in metal frame coated with mortar that mimics bamboos. The monument also has gargoyles in the form of oriental dragons with their heads facing the landscape, as if they admired the beautiful view of Rio.
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National Monument to the Victims of World War II
The monument located at Flamengo Park has 6,850 square meters compound with sculptures by Julius Castelli Filho, Alfredo Ceschiatti and a panel by Anísio Medeiros, the tribute has the names of 2,000 Brazilians, military and civilian, killed by the Germans in World War II and a large crypt with graves of Brazilian heroes.
Valongo Wharf
Rediscovered under tons of dirt during the reurbanization works of Porto Maravilha in 2011 in the neighborhood of Gamboa. The place was built in 1811 by the command of Marquês de Lavradio, and was the port where the slave ships docked, and then, it was remodeled to receive the Empress Teresa Cristina, fiancée of the future Emperor D. Pedro II, in 1843. According to historians, about one million African slaves arrived through the Pier.
Valongo Docks (1700)Rio de Janeiro Department of Conservation
Selarón Stairway
Created alone by Chilean Jorge Selarón, the stairway at Joaquim Silva Street linking Lapa to Santa Teresa has become one of Rio's icons. Made in mosaic tiles in the colors of the Brazilian flag and 125 meters long, it was called "The Great Madness" by the artist who dedicated his life exclusively to complete the work that began in the 1990s.
Selarón Stairs (1994) by Jorge SelarónRio de Janeiro Department of Conservation
After finishing the 215 steps, Selarón dedicated his work to the surrounding, achieving to put more than 2,000 tiles from all over the world in the stairs. As the artist said, the work would only be ready on the day of his death which came about in 2013.
Estácio de Sá Monument
Raised in 1973, the memorial to the first governor of Rio de Janeiro, in the colonial period, Estácio de Sá is located in Flamengo. Built by architect Lucio Costa, the monument consists of an obelisk pyramid shaped with a vertex pointing to the exact place of foundation of the city. Photo: Alexandre Macieira
Monument to Estacio de Sá (1973) by Lucio CostaRio de Janeiro Department of Conservation
Curumim
Initially inhabited by Tamoios Indians, the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon in Rio de Janeiro was soon required by the Portuguese for the installation of a sugar mill. It is said that the government used a treacherous method to exterminate the Indians of the region: clothes worn by people suffering from smallpox were spread along infected and exterminated. To commemorate this sad story, a sculpture of a little Indian called Curumim was installed on the lagoon in 1979 by its creator, artist Pedro Araujo Strap.
Lapa Arches
Opened in 1750 and considered to be the largest Brazilian architectural work in the 18th century, the Aqueduct of Carioca is now know as Lapa Arches and it is one of the greatest postcard views of the city. Located at the most bohemian neighborhood of the city, the monument is 270 meters long and almost 20m high. Initially an aqueduct, the arches began to serve as a pass for trams in 1896. Its construction in stone and lime was all done with manpower of indigenous and African slaves.
Lapa Arches (1750) by Brigadeiro AlpoimRio de Janeiro Department of Conservation
To the Champions of the World
To the Champions of the World is a bronze monument in honor of the players who participated and won the World Cups of 1958 and 1962. On the concrete pedestal coated in gray polished granite, there are signs with the names of football players.
Discovery of Brazil
Discovery of Brazil opened as part of the celebrations of the fourth centenary of the country. It shows Cabral's figure brandishing a flag on a high pedestal and, behind him, the figures of Pero Vaz de Caminha and Frei Henrique Soares. The whole sculptural group was cast in bronze in Thiebaut, Paris, under the direct supervision of Bernardelli.
Pedro I
The first commemorative public monument in Brazil, it was erected on the initiative of D. Pedro II in honor of the 40th anniversary of Brazil's independence proclaimed by his father. The project by Brazilian artist João Maximiano Mafra was executed in Paris by renowned sculptor Louis Rochet.
Pedro I (1862) by João Maximiano MafraRio de Janeiro Department of Conservation
Municipal Secretary for Conservancy and Public Services: Marcus Belchior.
Manager Chief: Ana Luiza Toledo Piza.
Project Manager and I.T.: Rodrigo Kemel.
Photos: Daniel Coelho.
Aerial Photos: João Francisco.
Text and Content: Amanda Cinelli.
Content Support: Lenora Vasconcellos.
