at a glance

catete was home to the presidency of the Brazilian Republic in Palácio do Catete, or 'Catete Palace' as well as a number of picturesque and colorful buildings dating back to the late 19th and early 20th Century - it is also commonly known as the 'belle époque' of the city.

The area gained its name from the central street running through it, 'Rua do Catete', which predates Portuguese colonization, and can be found in early accounts of battles between the Portuguese and the French - it was inhabited in those times by the indigenous Tamoios people, in their language the word 'Catete' signifies 'thick forest'.

the name 'catete' initially referred to the region along the carioca river that flowed through neighborhood of flamengo - in fact, the beachfront extending from the neighborhood of catete is today called flamengo beach.