at a glance

Urbanization efforts began in 1965, from which point the district grew rapidly around the soccer stadium. In the 1970s another community appeared on the northern shore of the district, on an embankment constructed over an area of mangrove. The community of Parque Royal, or 'Royal Park', also known as Praia do Maneiro, or 'Cool Beach', was targeted by the Favela-Bairro project in the 1990s, which greatly improved the quality of life of residents within the small cluster of buildings.

The Estádio de Futebol Luso-Brazilian formed a partnership with the districts of Botafogo and Flamengo in 2005. Together with the energy company, Petrobras, they increased the stadium's seating capacity to 30,000. The improvements were finished in time for the Campeonato Brasileiro, or 'Brazilian Championship', and for a while the stadium was renamed Arena Petrobras, or 'Petrobras Arena'.

The Portuguesa neighborhood has a cluster of interesting and culturally significant establishments, such as the soccer stadium, which dominates the southern edge, and the Capela Nossa Senhora de Fátima, or 'Chapel to Our Lady of Fátima'.