at a glance

the Penha Neighborhood is located in the north zone of rio de janeiro and it is delimited by the waters of guanabara bay in the east, penha circular to the north, olaria to the south and brás de pina, vila da penha, and vila cosmos to the west.

The origins of the Penha district are inseparable from the church that sits within it. An impressive edifice of great historical importance, the Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Penha, or 'Church of Our Lady of The Rock', stands atop a large rock and boasts one of the most impressive views in the north region of Rio de Janeiro.

The history of the neighborhood as we know it began in 1635 when a Portuguese landlord, Captain Baltazar de Abreu Cardoso, who owned a lot of land in the region, decided to build the church.