at a glance

rua maria quitéria, located in one of rio de janeiro's most sophisticated neighborhoods, running from ipanema beach up to the gorgeous Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas -  originally called rua otavio silva, after the son of colonel josé antónio silva, the street's name was changed in 1922 to honour maria quitéria (1792-1853), who is considered to be a heroine of the brazilian independence struggles in bahia.

born in feira de santana in bahia in 1792, maria quitéria jesus is known as the 'brazilian joan of arc' and has become a symbol of fearlessness and bravery in brazil - using the false name josé cordeiro de medeiros, she dressed as a man and fought ardently against the portuguese during brazil's independence struggles.