cidade nova is a district located in the central zone (zona centro) of rio - the nearby bairros (neighborhoods) bordering it are centro, santa teresa and catumbi; estácio, praça da bandeira and santo cristo.

in the colonial era the region now comprised by this district was little more than a large field of mangrove, but  during the 19th century these swampy areas were embanked to make space for the urban expansion.

translatable as 'new city' the name of this part of rio comes from its transformation from a marshy, flooded area.  

the importance of the area grew significantly at that time, grouping several business owners and investments of great relevance to the city.