at a glance

situated just north of the pedra branca ridge, the bangu neighborhood  is a very densely populated region of metropolitan of rio de janeiro. it is enveloped by campo grande, santíssimo, senador camará, realengo and padre miguel. to the north it covers part of the gerenció-mendanha area of environmental protection.

the first colonial occupation dates back to the end of the 17th century, when the portuguese manuel de barcelos domingos created the bangu ranch. for a long time the only road in the region was the santa cruz royal road, which linked the city to the jesuit possessions further to the west.  

this meant that the whole area would only significantly develop afer the opening of the railroad, at the end of the 19th century, which led to the establishment of urbanizations and some industries. the bangu cloth factory became very well-known in brazil and for a time it was one of the biggest employers in the neighborhood.