santa teresa is a bairro (neighborhood) in the central zone of rio de janeiro, and it is bordered by glória, laranjeiras, cosme velho, lapa, bairro de fátima, catumbi, and rio comprido - the bairro is characterized by tortuous hills, narrow cobblestone streets, colonial houses, thick vegetation, and several panoramic viewpoints of the city of rio, the guanabara bay, the tijuca national park.

the very top of the hill on which it is located, is called 'bairrozinho do silvestre', and today it is considered to be santa teresa's more elegant section - the ascent is particularly scenic.

initially inhabited by the high society of the 19th century, the neighborhood was enriched by the construction of luxurious mansions, some of which are still in existence today, such as the the castelo do valentim - over time, santa teresa did not remain the exclusive neighborhood that it once was, it suffered from a period of neglect but later became an area of great cultural interest and a landmark neighborhood of rio.