at a glance

early development began near the fábrica das chitas (cheetahs factory) on largo da fábrica (factory square) and the neighborhood began to gain better access and infrastructure towards the end of the 19th century - in fact, tijuca had the first electrical-powered railroad in the city.

the following century brang extansive urbanization to tijuca and by the middle of the 20th century many of the wealthier inhabitants had relocated to the south zone of the city - nowadays, the remaining resident's emotional connection to their neighborhood is very strong, locals refer to themselves as tijucanos. 

the lack of space eventually forced people to occupy the surrounding hills, a process still going on today - by the start of the twentieth century, the hills were occupied by favelas communities the first was forming on morro do salgueiro (willow hill), and soon after, the favelas of borel and formiga followed.