at a glance

the Pilares Neighborhood is situated in the nort zone - zona north of rio de janiero. it is surrounded by the districts of tomás coelho, engenho da rainha, inhaúma, eng. de dentro, abolição and piedade.

During the colonial era the area was constituted by two expansive farms, called Quinta de Sant'ana and Capão, or 'Capon'. By the end of the 19th century these farms belonged to Francisca Carolina de Mendonça Zieze and his son, Gaspar Augusto Nascente Zieze.

The two land owners gave away small strips of this land, some of which was used by the brotherhood of São Benidito to build the Paroquia de São Benidito, or 'Saint Benedict Parish'. The region is intersected by two rivers, Faria and Faleiro, around which the first residences were established. more substantial urbanization only began to take place however, after the arrival of the railroad, at the end of the 19th century.