praia
grande (big beach) in
niterói
today is everything but
famous, yet the city was at one point named after this very
beach.
the local settlement, called
vila real da praia
grande, was founded in 1696 and became an important hub
of industry and commerce for rio de janeiro in the 18th century.
during a visit from
king joão vi in 1816, the
people of vila real da praia grande showed great enthusiasm and
support for the crown.