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Copacabana is a neighborhood in the south of Rio de Janeiro, known for its beautiful beach and emblematic boardwalk. A history of Copacabana it's full of tradition, curiosities and glamor.
A Copacabana beach is one of the most famous in the world and earned the nickname “little princess of the sea”. As for the Copacabana Boardwalk, was built in 1906, with black stones (of basalt) and white (of calcite), brought from Portugal, which gave them the nickname “portuguese stones”. The denomination remains today, however much the stones are now mined in Brazil. The wave pattern was created in the 19th century on the sidewalks of Praça do Rossio, in Lisbon, as a tribute to the encounter of the fresh waters of the Tagus River with the Atlantic Ocean. Initially, at 4.15km from the Boardwalk, the waves were perpendicular to the length of the sidewalk. Only with the reform of the 70 is that they have gained the current meaning, parallel to the sidewalk.
In the 17th century, Bolivian and Peruvian silver merchants brought a replica of the image of Nossa Senhora de Copacabana to the beach in Rio de Janeiro that at the time was called Sacopenapã. They built a chapel in honor of the saint and soon the chapel started to designate the beach and the neighborhood. Demolished in 1914, gave rise to the Copacabana Fort. There are several hypotheses about the meaning of the name: one says it comes from the Quechua language, spoken in the Inca Empire and would mean “luminous place”, “Blue beach” or “mirante do azul”; another says that it comes from the Aymara language spoken in Bolivia meaning “view from the lake” (kota kahuana).
Only with the opening of a tunnel at Morro de Vila Rica, the Old Tunnel, in 1892, is that Copacabana started to integrate with the rest of the city. With the expansion of the tram lines, the neighborhood was gaining streets and houses, and Avenida Atlântica was created bordering the shore, in 1906. The Copacabana Palace Hotel, one of the symbols of the neighborhood and the country, was opened in 1923.
The Copacabana Palace was the first large building in Copacabana. The luxury hotel also functioned as a casino, up until 1946, when gambling was banned in the country. Inspired by Negresco hotels, Nice friend, and Carlton, I am Cannes, the imposing structure is filled with Carrara marble and Bohemian crystals. Palace gained worldwide fame when it served as the theme for the film “Flying Down to Rio”, of 1933, with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Although set in the hotel, the film was shot entirely in the United States. Considered historical heritage, the Copacabana Palace has hosted stars like Madonna, Michael Jackson, Elton John, Marilyn Monroe, Walt Disney to Princess Diana.
With the official name of Historical Museum of the Army (MHEx), Copacabana Fort is a beautiful postcard of the city, at the end of the beach of the same name. The construction of a fortification started when the country's capital was transferred from Salvador to Rio de Janeiro, in 1763. But the fort only received artillery in 1823, at the time of the Brazilian War of Independence, to defend the capital from an attack by the Portuguese Armada. The definitive fortification came only when Marshal Hermes da Fonseca became Minister of War. Very present in the country's history, the place was the stage for the uprising of the “Dezoito do Forte” in 1922. In 1964, the garrison of the fort did not join the military movement and had to be taken over by a ground force. In the following years, during the military regime, served as political prison. From 1987, with the extinction of the Coastal Artillery Batteries, the Forte's facilities became a Cultural Space, with permanent exhibitions, the museum, a library and Café do Forte, branch of the traditional Confeitaria Colombo. Some soldiers working at the museum still wear the historic uniform from the time of the inauguration, in 1914. Entrance costs only R $ 6.00.
Attracting tourists from around the world, especially at carnival and new year, the Copacabana neighborhood is not just about the beach: full of restaurants, bares, cafés, stores, theaters, arts fairs, Malls, it's fun for sunny days, cloudy days and lively nights!
There is no shortage of options for what to eat in Copacabana, from famous chains to small bars and snack bars. But if you really want to enjoy the beach to the fullest, a mandatory stop are the kiosks along the shore. Choose your favorite and enjoy caipirinhas, coconut water and seafood, enjoying the beautiful scenery!
How about enjoying a different and diverse place like Shopping dos Antiquários (popular name given to Shopping Cidade Copacabana) is a bold project by Henrique Mindlin, built from 1953 in Copacabana. The shopping center was opened by President Juscelino Kubitschek in 1960. The building has a modern design, with elliptical ramps in the style of the New York Guggenheim, that allow visitors to circulate on four floors. At the end of the ramps is an internal garden whose landscaping refers to the famous Copacabana Beach boardwalk. The Shopping is formed by two large galleries connected by smaller galleries and has two main entrances: Rua Siqueira Campos and Rua Figueiredo de Magalhães. There is also an entrance on Joseph Bloch Street. At Shopping you can find everything: clothes, accessories, porcelains, carpets, clocks, bibele, hairdressers, a supermarket, furniture, rare records, electrical supply stores, gift shops, chocolatiers, snack bars, thrift stores and various antique shops. In the antique shops you can find all kinds of bric-a-brac: old tiles, toys, porcelain, cupboards, talk arias, chandeliers, Holy art, Persian rugs, paintings, sculptures, wall clocks, period furniture… It is the largest concentration, From Latin America, of similar houses. The Tereza Rachel Theater also visited the Shopping Mall, that after presenting historical shows, closed its doors and was rented to the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, between 2001 e 2008. After, between 2008 e 2011, the space was used by directors and theatrical producers Charles Möeller and Cláudio Botelho as a place for rehearsals and cast selections of musicals produced by the duo in Rio de Janeiro. After having undergone a major renovation the site is now occupied by Theatro NET Rio.
Rio de Janeiro is an informal city. Light clothes, slippers, all without worry and with great comfort. E, Clear, if your destination is Copacabana, capriche in swimwear, sunglasses, cap or hat and abuse the sunscreen!
