"Rio, 447 years old Foundation !" Rio de Janeiro by Alless

Rio de Janeiro Travel Guide: 3,628 reviews and 6,543 photos

HISTORY - Rio de Janeiro
HISTORY

FOUNDATION OF THE CITY OF RIO DE JANEIRO (March,01,1565)

Founded by Estácio de Sá in l565, its name comes from an earlier comment made by André Gonçalves, commander of the expedition responsible for surveying the land discovered by Cabral. On January1, 1502 he discovered an estuary that he thought must be the mouth of a great river, and called it Rio de Janeiro - January River. He was wrong about the river, but the name stuck. And the wonderful January “Rio” has continued to flow, a generous stream of love and beauty that still today fills everyone who comes near it.

sugar loaf - Rio de Janeiro

sugar loaf

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The village of Rio de Janeiro was founded in 1565 by the Portuguese near Sugar Loaf mountain as a stronghold to defend the territory against foreign invaders after the expulsion of the French settlers. The full name of the city, São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro, was a tribute to the Portuguese king. In 1567, when the village was moved to Morro do Castelo, the population amounted to some 3000 people, most of them indigenous. The main industries at that time were fishing, especially whale fishing, and sugar production, with large sugar cane plantations and processing plants that extended from Gávea and the Rodrigo de Freitas Lake to the suburbs.

At the end of the 17th century, the gold rush in Minas Gerais, north-west of Rio, gave a boost to the city development. There was a substantial increase in immigration from Portugal that turned the city into the main port in the colony. This, in turn, attracted a legion of French pirates and smugglers, who invaded the city in 1710 and 1711, until they were finally expelled. The city boomed and the increase in population forced the frantic development of infrastructure to keep up. The most famous aqueduct in Rio, the Lapa Arcs, was opened in 1793. The structure is so solid that it is used today as a tramway connecting the district of Santa Teresa to the city centre.

The arrival of the Portuguese royal family in 1808 turned Rio into the temporary capital of Portugal, and the population increased to 70000 people. It was at this time that the city began to develop its characteristic division between rich and poor districts. The more affluent families established themselves in the areas between the sea and the hills, known today as the Zona Sul, and the poorer families went beyond the hills to the Zona Norte. It was around this time, also, that the Botanical Garden, the Casa França-Brasil, the Royal Library and the Customs House were built.

Rio de Janeiro is one of the world's most spectacular destinations offering a fun loving, beach-orientated lifestyle. Set between mountains and the sea, it is South America's most popular beach resort and is referred to as 'Cidade Maravilhosa' (Marvellous City) by the 'Cariocas' whose friendly, carefree attitude to life is infectious. Renowned for its lively nightlife it's also a sophisticated and cultural destination with numerous theatres, museums and galleries, most of which are found in the Zona Sul along with the majority of restaurants, shops and nightspots...

Useful Links:
Copa beach - Rio de Janeiro

Copa beach

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Rio Events Calendar Page
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Next Vt Meeting in Rio :
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Travelcreek - Travel Guide to the city of Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro-cybercityguides
Top 10 Guides: Top 10 Guide to Rio de Janeiro (Sample Lists)
Rio de Janeiro-Pagina Inicial ( portuguese)
News and Info about Rio in english
Rio is 'world's friendliest city'
By Victoria Harrison
BBC News

Pros and Cons
  • Pros:God made landscapes,,sea and mountain view
  • Cons:traffic jam
  • In a nutshell:more than just beauty women on the beach!!!
  • Intro Updated Mar 10, 2012
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Reviews (64)

Arches - Rio de Janeiro Lapa District, the "Montmartre Carioca” Things to Do (18)

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Budget and well furnitured Studium in Copacabana - Rio de Janeiro Budget and well furnitured Studium in... Hotels (12)

Its is a good choice,well furnitured , cozy and budget studium in Copacabana... Located just one block away from beach,... more travel advice

New York City Center ,NYCC ( UCI ) - Barra - Rio de Janeiro New York City Center ,NYCC ( UCI ) -... Things to Do (18)

Don't you know ? We have our own Statue of Liberty in replica in Barra , in UCI Multiplex ( United Cinemas International... more travel advice

Ilha Fiscal (Fiscal Island) - Rio de Janeiro Ilha Fiscal (Fiscal Island) Things to Do (18)

With its gothic style building that took ten years to be built up,the miniature palace on Fiscal Island is famous for... more travel advice

Comments (80)

  • Reply
    omran's Profile Photo
    Sep 7, 2010 at 9:16 AM

    very nice page thanx 4 sharing

  • Reply
    88Starflite's Profile Photo
    Oct 20, 2009 at 10:28 AM

    180,000 in one stadium, now that's a lot!

  • Reply
    hunterV's Profile Photo
    Aug 21, 2009 at 11:55 PM

    Alessandra, thanks for your splendid story and nice pictures! It's simply amazing!

  • Reply
    RickinDutch's Profile Photo
    Jun 23, 2009 at 3:58 PM

    Excellent tips! Thanks! Rio is on my short list of places to see. Birthday greetings from Alaska.

  • Reply
    Marisola's Profile Photo
    Mar 28, 2008 at 10:49 AM

    Hope to visit there some day! I'll be looking at your pages!

  • Reply
    livi4's Profile Photo
    Dec 18, 2006 at 8:37 PM

    Crab Hostel looks interesting, they do not show age cut- off and I am not a spring chicken any more. I sure will try.

  • Reply
    marcelo15's Profile Photo
    Oct 22, 2006 at 6:01 PM

    hi ale your page of rio is just fantastic. thank you very much for all the info that you give us. it´s definitely my big wish to visit rio soon. greets, marce.

  • Reply
    enroute's Profile Photo
    Apr 2, 2006 at 5:29 PM

    I will be visiiting your city in october so I'm looking for info, your page helped me a lot.

  • Reply
    tak_pap's Profile Photo
    Feb 17, 2006 at 7:52 AM

    amazing site - one of the best pages ! fantastic informations and tips

  • Reply
    AnitaJRT's Profile Photo
    Jan 25, 2006 at 3:05 AM

    Lovely photo -- you have a keen eye, thanks for sharing!

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