Conjunto Residencial Mendes de Moraes (Pedregulho)

Benfica is a neighborhood in the North Zone of

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...

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 is located near

São Cristóvão São Cristóvão (, ''Saint Christopher'') is a Brazilian municipality in the Northeastern state of Sergipe. Founded at the mouth of the Vaza-Barris River on January 1, 1590, the municipality is the fourth oldest settlement in Brazil. São Crist� ...

and

Engenho de Dentro Engenho de Dentro is a middle-class and lower-middle-class neighbourhood in the Rio de Janeiro#North Zone, North Zone of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It borders the neighbourhoods of Abolição, Água Santa, Rio de Janeiro, Água Santa, Cachambi, Encan ...

, within the

Centro Centro may refer to: Places Brazil *Centro, Santa Maria, a neighborhood in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil * Centro, Porto Alegre, a neighborhood of Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil *Centro (Duque de Caxias), a neighborhood of Duq ...

(Downtown) Administrative Region. Benfica was first populated in the 16th century, as an area of

sugarcane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with ...

plantation developed by

Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

missionaries, who received an extensive donation of land, which also included present-day

Engenho da Rainha Engenho da Rainha is a neighborhood in the North Zone of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and ...

and

Engenho Novo Engenho Novo is a neighborhood of middle class and lower middle of the Rio de Janeiro#North Zone, North Zone of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The region's HDI, in 2000, was 0.858: the 45th best in the municipality of Rio de Janeiro. It neighbors the ne ...

, from

Estácio de Sá Estácio de Sá (1520 – February 20, 1567) was a Portuguese soldier and officer. Sá travelled to the colony of Brazil on the orders of the Portuguese crown to wage war on the French colonists commanded by Nicolas Durand de Villegaignon. These F ...

. After the jesuits were expelled from the

Portuguese Empire The Portuguese Empire ( pt, Império Português), also known as the Portuguese Overseas (''Ultramar Português'') or the Portuguese Colonial Empire (''Império Colonial Português''), was composed of the overseas colonies, factories, and the l ...

by the

marquis of Pombal Count of Oeiras () was a Portuguese title of nobility created by a royal decree, dated July 15, 1759, by King Joseph I of Portugal, and granted to Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, head of the Portuguese government. Later, through another roya ...

, in 1759, possessions in Benfica were granted to various private owners, and the region became further populated. The neighbourhood has historically played a role as a resting place and point of passage to places of interest in the outskirts of Rio, most notably on the

Estrada Real Estrada Real (, ''Royal Road'') was an epithet applied to the roads built and maintained by the Portuguese Crown both in Portugal itself and in the Portuguese overseas territories. Presently it is used to designate a set of colonial-era to ...

(Royal Road). Today, Benfica is served by the Avenida Brasil and

Avenida Dom Hélder Câmara Avenue or Avenues may refer to: Roads * Avenue (landscape), traditionally a straight path or road with a line of trees, in the shifted sense a tree line itself, or some of boulevards (also without trees) * Avenue Road, Bangalore * Avenue Road, Lon ...

, two avenues which link downtown Rio to suburbs in the

North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography. Etymology T ...

and West Zones.

References

{{Rio de Janeiro city neighbourhoods Neighbourhoods in Rio de Janeiro (city)