at a glance

the district had its beginnings on an uninhabited hill overlooking the sea, where in 1671, captain antónio caminha erected a rustic church.

in the same spot in 1714, another church, the famous nossa senhora da glória do outeiro, was built in brazilian baroque style, in the form of a polygon - it is also likely how the name glória originated to describe the neighborhood. 

the area beneath the glória do outeiro church was home to the tupi indigenous tribe, an area called 'kariók' or 'karióg' and, some say, the birth of the label 'carioca' to describe rio's residents.

however, a more popular theory is that the word carioca came from the indigenous word 'kara'i oca' used to describe the 'house of the white man' set up in what is today the flamengo neighborhood.