nearby is the metropolitan cathedral, a cone-shaped structure built between 1964 and 1979. imposing in size, it stands some 80 meters tall and can accommodate 20,000 people.  the museum of sacred art is located in the basement of the cathedral.    

while lapa has long carried a reputation for being a bohemian enclave within the city, and a popular meeting point for artists and intellectuals, it has in recent years become the nightlife capital of rio.