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

Candelária Church The Candelária Church ( pt, Igreja da Candelária, ) is an important historical Roman Catholic church in the city of Rio de Janeiro, in southeastern Brazil. It was built and decorated during a long period, from 1775 to the late 19th century. T ...

, 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 ...

'' such as the

Municipal Theatre A municipal theatre is a theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific ...

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 The Carioca Aqueduct ( pt, Aqueduto da Carioca), also known as Arcos da Lapa, is an aqueduct in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The aqueduct was built in the middle of the 18th century to bring fresh water from the Carioca River to the popul ...

. 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 Eletrobras (, full name: Centrais Elétricas Brasileiras S.A.) is a major Brazilian electric utilities company. The company's headquarters are located in Rio de Janeiro. It is Latin America's biggest power utility company, tenth largest in the w ...

BNDES The National Bank for Economic and Social Development ( pt, Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social, abbreviated: BNDES) is a development bank structured as a federal public company associated with the Ministry of the Economy of Bra ...

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