at a glance

campo dos afonsos is a neighborhood located in the west zone (oeste norte) of rio. the bairro (neighborhood) is bordered by vila militar, deodoro and marechal hermes, vila valqueire and jardim sulacap.

the bairro's name origins go back to the engenho dos afonsos (afonsos mill) located in a large field. the sugarcane mill was part of a sugarcane and cattle plantation. the mill was established by izidoro rodrigues dos santos, a surgeon.   a subsequent owner by the name of magalhães took over the operation.

a stretch of the estrada real de santa cruz (royal road of the holy cross) was named after him. it crosses between the bairros of campinho and realengo - campo dos afonsos or, afonsos' field in portuguese was the site of the first aviation school in rio. established in 1913, the aeronáutica civil e militar (civil and military aviation) created rio's first school of aviation.