at a glance

ribeira is a neighborhood located on the ilha do governador (governor's island) in the zona norte (north zone) of rio de janeiro, it shares a border with the nearby bairro (neighborhoods) of zumbi. the name of this neighborhood comes from the 19th century fazenda da ribeira (ribeira plantation), which was located on a narrow strip of land on the island.

during the 19th century ilha do governador supplied rio with fish, brick, tile and lime. the portuguese who settled in this area of the island also distilled rum.

this was a very vibrant and active area of the island. by the 1870s, one hundred commercial businesses and homes were already established between the settlements of ribeira, nearby zumbi and pitangueiras. by the beginning of the 20th century, it had grown further and in 1914, two petroleum companies, shell and later esso were established here.