Praça da Sé (

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

: '' See Square'') is a public space in

São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for ' Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaW ...

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 ...

. Considered as the city's central point, it is the point from where the distance of all roads passing through São Paulo are counted. The square was the location of many historical events in São Paulo's history, most notably during the

Diretas Já Diretas Já (, ''Direct (Elections) Now'') was a civil unrest movement which, in 1984, demanded direct presidential elections in Brazil. Participants of the movement The movement brought together diverse elements of Brazilian society. Participa ...

movement. The name originates from the

episcopal see An episcopal see is, in a practical use of the phrase, the area of a bishop's ecclesiastical jurisdiction. Phrases concerning actions occurring within or outside an episcopal see are indicative of the geographical significance of the term, mak ...

of the city, the

São Paulo Cathedral The São Paulo Metropolitan Cathedral ( pt, Catedral Metropolitana de São Paulo), also known as the See Cathedral ( pt, Catedral da Sé), is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of São Paulo, Brazil. Its current and seventh Metro ...

History

Originally known as Largo da Sé (Field of the See), the square developed around the religious building which preceded the cathedral and surrounding edifices. At the beginning of the 20th century, older structures were demolished, and the downtown area was reconstructed according to the time's

urban planning Urban planning, also known as town planning, city planning, regional planning, or rural planning, is a technical and political process that is focused on the development and design of land use and the built environment, including air, water, ...

. Its geography has remained mostly unchanged since.

Landscape project

The current

landscape A landscape is the visible features of an area of land, its landforms, and how they integrate with natural or man-made features, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal.''New Oxford American Dictionary''. A landscape includes the ...

is the result of a 1970s project by architects led by José Eduardo de Assis Lefèvre. The opening of a nearby São Paulo Metro station required the leveling of an entire city block, requiring an entirely new landscaping infrastructure. The architects were heavily influenced by contemporary landscaping works underway on the US's west coast (such as those by Lawrence Halprin), characterized by rigorous geometry, through multiple levels with reflecting pools and prism-like land masses.

Renovation

The square underwent a significant revitalization during 2006, having been partially re-inaugurated on January 25, 2007 (the city's anniversary) by then-mayor

Gilberto Kassab Gilberto Kassab ( or ; born 12 August 1960) is a Brazilian politician and former mayor of São Paulo. His term ended in 2012. A civil engineer and economist, one of the most famous Brazilians of Syrian descent, Kassab took over from José Serra, ...

. The renovation came under intense criticism by NGOs working with the homeless who claimed that the new square reduced the space available for existing homeless peopleFolha Online - Protestos de sem-teto abafam comemorações do aniversário de São Paulo
/ref> The renovation includes the relocation of flower boxes, the increase in the integration between existing sculptures and their surroundings, and the introduction of pedestrian overpasses over the existing reflecting pools.

Monuments

References

Bibliography

*MACEDO, Silvio Soares e ROBBA, Fábio; ''Praças brasileiras''; São Paulo:Edusp;

External links

Historical Assets Administration of the City of São Paulo

SampaCentro
{{DEFAULTSORT:Se, Praca da Buildings and structures in São Paulo Squares in São Paulo Tourist attractions in São Paulo 1970 establishments in Brazil