at a glance

The land was granted to the first settlers by the Portuguese crown in the 16th Century. In the mid-17th century the region received its first parish and it was at this time that the Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Apresentacao, or 'Church of Our Lady of Revelation' was first built, only to be completely reconstructed a hundred years later.

During this period, the region proved itself to be a great producer of fruit, vegetables, brandy and basic construction materials, which supplies to the whole of Rio de Janeiro.

The 1850 Land Law, which permitted the purchase of small areas of land by squatters, caused the segmentation of large colonial farms, while the implementation of the Rio D'Ouro, or 'River of Gold' Railway in 1886 improved access to other areas of the city and stimulated trade. The early 20th Century saw a great influx of residents, incentivized in their migration by the urban reforms instigated by Mayor Pereira Passos.