LAPA

The Arcos da Lapa, the former Carioca Aqueduct, are the largest architectural work in Brazil during the colonial period. Built to distribute to the population the waters of the springs of Rio Carioca, today it serves as a viaduct for another great attraction: the trams that connect the Carioca Station to the Santa Teresa neighborhood.

Symbol of Lapa, a neighborhood that has served as a reference for what was most important in the nightlife of Rio, the Arcos da Lapa is 270 meters long. The building has Roman style and has 42 double arches of masonry, built by Indians and slaves in the 18th century.

The district of Lapa is the bohemian stronghold of the city, with its bars, taverns and concert halls packed by samba, choro and MPB. In the early twentieth century, the narrow streets of the place boiled with the mixture of bohemia, malandragem and intellectuality. Many painters, poets, journalists, musicians, footballers, rogues and prostitutes passed by.

In the 1930s, Noel Rosa and Madame Satã were stamped figures, but the decadence of the neighborhood came with the end of the 70's. Today, a new audience discovers and values ​​the place. They are university students who seek fun in the old restored mansions, drinking beer and listening to their favorite repertoires.

Some of the best-known houses in the region are Circo Voador, Teatro Odisséia, Estrela da Lapa, Carioca da Gemma, Rio Scenarium, Mangue Seco, among others. Traditional buildings are present, such as the Museum of Image and Sound, the Selarón Staircase (covered with colorful tiles, linking Lapa to Santa Teresa) and Nossa Senhora da Carmo Church of Lapa do Destino, whose name has been christened the neighborhood.