Praça Mauá – Mauá square

Welcome to the Mauá square, completely remodelled for the Olympics. Back in the day, this area was known as “Largo da prainha”, meaning ‘Little Beach Square’, a nod to the beautiful cove stretching out just below. Then, in the 16th century, when they built the São Bento monastery atop the hill, the square became a busy thoroughfare marking the way to the abbey. Fast forward to the early 1900s, and the square was modernized. All travelers arriving from overseas now disembarked here, at this very spot. This is where they also built the very first skyscraper in all of Latin America; it’s called “A Noite”, meaning “at night”, and you can still see it today. It was designed by French architect Joseph Gire, who also built the imposing Copacabana Palace that you’ve surely seen opposite the namesake beach. When it opened in the late 20s, the A Noite was the poshest address in the whole city. Today, the building is home to government offices. The Rio Art Museum is right around the corner. It’s housed in the two buildings you see connected by a footbridge. On the right there’s the Exhibition Pavilion, built in 1916, and on the left there’s the Escola do Olhar (the School of the Gaze), formerly a bus station. Since 2013, both are home to the art museum. At the center of the square, you’ll see the Viscount of Mauà standing tall on a column. He was a Brazilian entrepreneur, banker and politician who significantly helped the country get on its feet back in the 19th century. He founded Brazil’s central bank and financed the country’s coffee plantations, plus the construction of the first railroad lines.