Rio’s Bustling City Center Sits On A Promontory that juts out into Guanabara Bay, to the north of Sugar Loaf Mountain. A wave of rash construction in the early 20th century led to many of the area’s finest buildings being razed to the ground, and the center lost much of the architectural unity that characterizes many Latin American cities. However, reminders of Rio’s grand past can still be found scattered around Centro’s broad avenues, where unremarkable civic and commercial buildings are interspersed with delightful palaces and Baroque churches, as well as fascinating museums and art galleries.
Sights
Mosteiro de São Bento
Rio’s oldest church is also one of Brazil’s most beautiful. Its modest fade belies a lavish interior of Baroque carvings, including an opulent Blessed Sacrament Chapel. If you visit on Sundays at 10am, you can hear the Benedictine monks, who live in the adjacent monastery, singing a Latin mass.
Museu Nacional de Belas Artes
Rio’s foremost art gallery houses one of Latin America’s most impressive collections. Vitor Meirelles’ apology for colonialism, A Primeira Missa no Brasil, is displayed here. Arguably more interesting modernist Brazilian work is represented by painters such as Cdido Portinari, Emiliano Di Cavalcanti, and the antropofagista Tarsila do Amaral, who defined the modern Brazilian style.
Museu Histórico Nacional
Devoted entirely to the history of Brazil, Museu Histico Nacional is one of the largest museums in the country. Panels and displays trace the development of Brazil from the Stone Age, when the first inhabitants left paintings in the Serra da Capivara, up until the first days of the republic. A caf・next to the lobby serves delicious coffee, fresh juices, and snacks.
Visit during the week to avoid the crowds.
Praça X V
Dominated by the Pa Imperial, this flagstone square next to the ferry port preserves the memory of Rio under Portuguese rule more than any other part of the city. Until the Proclamation of the Republic in 1889, this square was the political center of Rio and Minas Gerais, and after the arrival of the royal family, it was the seat of power for Brazil.
Pra XV is home to historic buildings, restaurants, shops, and two of central Rio’s finest churches – Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Monte do Carmo and Igreja da Ordem Terceira de Nossa Senhora do Monte do Carmo.
Botecos
The little restaurants and bars that dot the city from Ipanema to the center are called botecos or botequins. All are busy with waiters rushing around carrying glasses of frothy ice-cold beer and light snacks. The most famous boteco in the center is Bar Lu and on the beaches it is Bar do Vinius, the birthplace of bossa nova in the early 1960s.
Igreja Santo Antônio
Rio’s second-oldest convent is set in a series of beautiful colonial churches on a hill overlooking the pedestrian-only Largo da Carioca. The bright interior is decorated with tiles and statues of St. Anthony. Women are often seen praying to the saint, who is said to be a provider of husbands.
• Largo da Carioca s/n • (021) 2262 0129 • Open 7:30am–7:30pm Mon–Fri, 7:30–11am Sat
Catedral Metropolitana de São Sebastião
Often falsely attributed to Brazil’s most famous modernist architect, Oscar Niemeyer, the cathedral was actually built by Edgar de Oliveira da Fonseca in 1976–84. The basement houses a Sacred Art Museum preserving age-old artifacts of the Portuguese royal family.
• Av República do Chile • (021) 2240 2669 • Open 7am–5pm daily
Candelária Church
This grand Italianate temple has long been the church of choice for high-society Rio. Built between 1775 and 1894, the church was modeled on the Basilica de Estrela in Lisbon and the marble for the interior was shipped from Verona. The Candelia gets its name from a chapel built in homage to Our Lady of Candles, which stood on the same site from 1610.
• Praca Pio X • (021) 2233 2324 • Open 8am–4pm Mon–Fri, 8am–noon Sat,
9am–1pm Sun
Real Gabinete Português de Leitura
This splendid library is a hidden treasure in the city center. The Manueline style evolved in Portugal in the 15th century and is unique because of its Islamic influences and nautical motifs.
The library was built in the 19th century by the Portuguese architect Rafael da Silva e Castro, and is thought to house the biggest collection of Portuguese literary works outside Portugal.
• Rua Luís de Camões 30 • (021) 2221 3138 • Open 9am–6pm Mon–Fri
Confeitaria Colombo
This excellent bakery-tea house is few blocks from the Real Gabinete. The lower gallery features towering mirrors, while the upper gallery is brightened by a delightful Art Nouveau skylight. The feijoada colonial lunch on Saturdays is often accompanied by live music.
There is another branch of Confeitaria Columbo at Forte de Copacabana.
• Rua Gonçalves Dias 32 • (021) 2232 2300
• Open 9am–8pm Mon–Fri, 9:30am–5pm Sat
Nossa Senhora da Lapa
The modest exterior of this little church tucked away near Pra XV belies its stunning Baroque interior. The dome, which is illuminated by a series of round windows and an oval skylight, is particularly lovely. The church is a haven of peace in the bustle of central Rio.
• Rua do Ouvidor 35 • (021) 2509 2339
• Open 8am–2pm Mon–Fri