Santa Teresa
The district of Santa Teresa started next to a convent on Morro do Desterro, Rio de Janeiro, in the 18th century. Set on a hillside in the center of the city, it seems to have stopped in time maintaining, as it has for decades, preserved features of Old Rio and a bit of history in each corner.

Writers and artists have always been seduced by the district’s charm and to its architectural and cultural treasures, visible to the eye and cherished by the heart. Any artistic expression finds its home in Santa, as its admirers prefer to call it. Everything that exists in Santa Teresa and that is known about it is also part of the history of Rio. To the visitor, however, it seems like a place apart with its own characteristics.

The narrow and winding streets with the old tramcars, the last to be found in the whole of Brazil, are one more singular attraction. The charming vehicles, which date from the 19th century, were moved by animal traction at first and later by electricity. Survivors of romantic times, they are now protected as historical heritage and still go along perfectly preserved tracks taking visitors to a re-reading of the past.

The tram car ride starts downtown, crosses the Lapa Arches and follows the up and down route through the slopes of Santa Teresa. It leaves from the station in Largo da Carioca, very near the headquarters of Petrobrás in Lélio Gama Street. With its delightful garden, the site is a foretaste of what is to come.

Two lines go through Santa Teresa, Paula Matos and Dois Irmãos, with an interval of 30 minutes between departures. There are also two excursions with guides on Saturdays, Passeio Histórico, leaving at 10 am and following a cultural route that takes approximately one hour, and Ecológico, leaving at noon on a longer visit of two hours which includes a track through the forest.

Tram drivers are repositories of picturesque and intriguing stories that they enjoy telling. Out there there are cultural centers, old rural properties, castles, squares, restaurants, studios, handicraft stores. Besides the dazzling city views, the statue of Christ the Redeemer can be seen blessing the city. The trams always stop for a while at the Museu do Bonde (Tram Museum) with all manner of information about those vehicles and some old replicas - true relics preserved through time.

Exploring romantic Santa Teresa

Santa Teresa Church and Convent
The district was named after Igreja e Convento de Santa Teresa (Santa Teresa Church and Convent). The convent houses the Ordem das Carmelitas Descalças (Order of the Barefoot Carmelite Nuns) who live in almost total isolation a very simple, humble and discreet life. Few residents have ever seen the nuns in the neighborhood.

Largo do Curvelo (Curvelo Square)
The tram arrives at Almirante Alexandrino Street, the oldest in the district. There is found Casa Navio (Ship House) inspired on the deck of a vessel, pure architectural daring. And from this street the surprising Castelo de Valentim (Valentim Castle), a fortress in neo-romantic style, can be seen. It was built in the late 19th century as residence of comendador Antônio Valentim and designed by his son. Nowadays it is an apartment building. Nearby there is a belvedere that overlooks beautiful Guanabara Bay.

Largo dos Guimarães e Largo das Neves (Guimarães and Neves Squares)
The tram goes into the heart of the district. All you have to do now is enjoy the bohemian lifestyle of Santa Teresa. On Guimarães Sqaure there is a collection of favorite restaurants and bars serving iced beer and good hors d’oeuvres. Among them, Bar do Mineiro, Bar do Arnaudo (northeastern cuisine), Sobrenatural (seafood) e Adega do Pimenta (German). Sunset brings the lively presence of artists, intellectuals, lots of beautiful people and Brazilian popular music. The tram tracks lead to Largo das Neves, with its lovely old houses dating from the 1850s and the 1860’s Igreja Nossa Senhora das Neves (Church of Our Lady of the Snow), as well as a series of very popular bars. This is the final stop of the tram and the place to try the caldo verde (traditional Portuguese soup) of Bar do Goyabeira, the sandwiches of Café das Neves or the shrimp pastry of Santa Saideira.

Parque das Ruínas (Ruins Park)
Set high up on the hill with a view of the entire city, from Santos Dumont Airport to Urca, the Park has become a superb belvedere. Right below are the Lapa Arches. Open to the public, it is what was left of Palacete Murtinho Nobre, once home to Laurinda Santos Lobo. The house was one of the major meeting places of representatives of the city’s cultural life until the death of the hostess in 1946. City Hall has recreated from ruins the culture that lived there once. The park houses an exhibition room, auditorium and cafeteria for the comfort of visitors, music shows, happy hours and reading of literary texts. Outside, popular shows are presented and on weekends there is a special program for children. Three storey high, the house in brick, metal and glass calls attention for its architecture and style.

Centro Cultural Laurinda Santos Lobo (Laurinda Sntos Lobo Cultural Center)
In a fine house in the neighborhood, a cultural center in honor of Laurinda Santos Lobo was inaugurated in 1979. Laurinda was a remarkable woman who, in the early 20th century, virtually commanded Rio’s intellectual life hosting soirées and making of Santa Teresa a lively and graceful neighborhood. The photographic collection shows Laurinda in action and takes the visitor back to those days. The center also houses video rooms and spaces for exhibitions.

Museu Casa de Benjamin Constant (House of Benjamin Constant Museum)
The tram goes past a splendid country estate that was once the home of Benjamin Constant de Magalhães, leader of the republican movement. The residence, completely renovated, has been turned into a museum with furniture, books, objects, photographs and art collections. The trees around the museum make the area ideal for a quick rest. The Museum does not house the Benjamin Constant Institute situated in Urca. Benjamin Constant founded and for many years directed the Blind Children’s Institute, and that is why the Urca Benjamin Constant Institute for the blind bears his name.

Museu Chácara do Céu (Chácara do Céu Museum)
Raymundo Castro Maya was a successful executive who devoted himself to the cultural life of the city as collector and patron. The property, which Castro Maya inherited in 1936, is one more attractions in the district. The building, designed in 1957 by modernist architect Wladimir Alves de Souza, is now Museu Chácaro do Céu where the visitor will find an important collection of modern art with highlights such as works by Portinari, Di Cavalcanti, Guinard, Picasso, Matisse and Dalí. In paintings, watercolors and engravings, 19th century Brazil is shown through the eyes and art of travelers such as Debret and Taunay.