the physical demolitions,  and the construction and restructuring of the land and its inhabitants, and the conceptual configuration that was taking place at the hands of its writers,  the former led by political leaders, and the latter by intellectuals. 

these two rios were mutually formative of one another - the authors were inspired and impelled by the marvels of the city and the world they witnessed developing around them - the city was shaped in the mind of its residents by writers' depictions of it, who waxed lyrical about its cultural riches, including its bars, cafés, theatres, cinemas, and social soirees.

indeed, coelho neto, one of brazil's most important writers and thinkers, was referring to this buzzing metropolitan lifestyle when he coined the phrase cidade maravilhosa (marvelous city) in 1928.