at a glance

for a period the neighborhood was known as 'amorim soares' lagoon' and then 'fagundes' lagoon' after his son-in-law, a man named sebastião fagundes varela. he would eventually become one of the greatest landlords in the region and his grand-granddaughter married rodrigo de freitas, in 1702 - the last owner finally gave the lagoon its current name.

so, it was in the eighteenth century that the lagoon was finally named lagoa rodrigo de freitas, after a portuguese military officer, who now owned much of the land around the lagoon.

development of the neighborhood of lagoa began in the seventeenth century with the creation of a gun powder factory. the construction of the factory, which was intended by the royal family to strengthen the defense of the lagoon, resulted in the arrival of engineers and cunstruction workers in the area who also played a key role in the development of homes and residential areas.

the most rapid changes to the area occured following the arrival of the portuguese royal family at the beginning of the 19th century, and the subsequent works which would lead to the origin of the ' jardim botânico '.