History
» Capital City
Rio: social and cultural hub of the country since the discovery
The history of the state of Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil and the city of Rio de Janeiro have been closely linked
since the arrival of the Portuguese colonizers in the area around
Guanabara Bay in 1502. For more than two centuries, (1716 to
1960), Rio was the Capital: first to the Colony, then to the
Empire and finally to the Republic; and the country’s
Political, Financial and Social epicenter.
One important date from this time, March 1st, 1565, was the
founding of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro city
by Governor Estácio de Sá, in the meadows between
Sugar Loaf and Cara de Cão (Dog Face) mountains.
Another important date was the arrival of the Portuguese Royal
Family in 1808, with an entourage which included the Prince
Regent D. João, Queen D. Maria I along with 10,000 others.
Among them were European artists charged with depicting society
and nature, and professionals hired to carry out profound urban
reforms.
This period saw the founding of the Imprensa Régia (Imperial
Publishing House), with the issue of the first official newspaper,
the Rio de Janeiro Gazette, and the country’s first bank,
Banco do Brasil, which today houses a modern cultural center
in its old headquarters. The Botanical Garden was built, as
well as the Quinta da Boa Vista, where the Imperial residence
was set up and now a National Museum.
As an inheritance from its time as Capital, Rio de Janeiro still
has, on its downtown streets, many monuments and public buildings
with European influenced architecture. These constitute an important
historical and cultural heritage for the country: the Municipal
Theater, the National Museum of Fine Arts, Itamaraty Palace,
the National Library, Candelária Church and São
Bento Monastery.
When the nation’s Capital became Brasília on April
21, 1960, Rio de Janeiro ceased to be a Federal District. On
March 15th, 1975, it also ceased to be the capital of Guanabara,
becoming the capital of Rio de Janeiro after the two states
merged. But at no time, however, has it lost its status: it
has maintained its function as the economic, social, cultural,
tourism hub and remains, to this day, the main port of entry
for foreigners who come to visit the country.
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