Paço Imperial (1743) - Old Imperial Palace (though impressively modest), colonial architecture (in downtown, next to Praça XV, Fifteen Square).
Casa França Brasil (1820) - French cultural centre, with gallery and video hall (in downtown, next to CCBB).
CCBB - Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil (1906) - A cultural centre with gallery, movie theater, video room, library and stages; usually hosts the main exhibitions in town (in downtown). An interesting building with old-fashioned elevators/lifts.
Candelária Church - Neoclassic cathedral (next to CCBB).
Inside Candelária cathedral, in downtown.
Mosteiro de São Bento (1663) - Saint Benedict's Monastery, colonial architecture (in downtown).
Ilha Fiscal Palace (1889) - Located in the Guanabara Bay, next to the Navy Museum
Gloria Church (1739). Small but interesting church reached by a funicular. Nice views. (metro: Gloria)
Palácio Gustavo Capanema - Former ministry of culture, designed by French architect Le Corbusier; though small, it is regarded as an important pioneering in modern architecture (downtown).
Arcos da Lapa (1750) - Lapa Aqueduct, colonial structure that brought water from springs to downtown.
Catedral Metropolitana - a modern, cone-shaped cathedral, designed by Edgar de Oliveira da Fonseca (in Lapa).
São Francisco da Penitência church (1773) - Colonial church.
Teatro Municipal (1909) - City Theater, inspired by the Paris Opéra House (in Cinelândia square).
Biblioteca Nacional (1910) - National Library (in Cinelândia square).
Câmara Municipal - The City Hall, hosts the city council (in Cinelândia square).
Palácio do Catete - The former presidential palace (1893-1960), now hosts a museum of recent history and nice gardens (in Catete).
Itamaraty - Former presidential palace (1889-1893) and foreign office; now hosts a museum of South American diplomacy, a library and the UN information offices in Brazil (in Downtown, next to the Central station).
Palácio Guanabara - Former palace of the Imperial Princess, now governor's office; eclectic architecture; not open to public (in Laranjeiras).
Art Deco. Rio is a major centre for the Art Deco style of architecture. Indeed, the statue of Christ the Redeemer on Corcovado is considered a classic example of Art Deco work. There are numerous buildings in Copacabana and elsewhere that employ this style.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Rio de Janeiro
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Rio de Janeiro - updated Apr 2024
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Rio de Janeiro Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
