Brazil is the country of the future! is an old saying to which many immediately add, ...and it always will be! Brazil sees itself as a country poised on the edge of a high cliff, like a majestic eagle about to take flight. This nation's history is…

Palácio das Velas is not only a chain store in and of itself, but an excellent example of a special kind of shop that is ubiquitous throughout Rio de Janeiro and Brazil. You really can't walk more than a couple of blocks in any neighborhood without…

While the original Black Brotherhoods were founded in 1640 within Saint Sebastian Church on Castelo Hill, they were eventually evicted and given a plot of land to construct their own church. The construction of this church was started in 1700 and…

The Black Museum is situated at the back of the 18th century building of the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary and the Saint Benedict Black Brotherhood. Chattel slavery was ended in Brazil in 1888, making it the last country to abolish this horrifying…

The Imperial Palace at Plaza XV The Imperial Palace of Rio de Janeiro was built in 1743 and was one of the main political centers of Brazil for 150 years. Over the centuries, it served as the main residence of colonial Governors, both the main…

Tempeh offers a lovely variety of fresh and freshly prepared organic vegan items in a deconstructed historic colonial sobrado (two-storey house) in the "old city" region. Load up your plate as desired and pay by weight. With a fresh squeezed juice…

Dating back to 1609, the story starts with all the drama of a shipwrecked couple washing ashore. Thankful that their prayers for salvation had been answered, they erected a small chapel to Our Lady of Candelária. However, it wasn't until 1775 that…

The Church of Saint Rita of Cascia dates back to 1721, and as such, is the oldest church in Rio de Janeiro built in the Baroque style. It is the first church dedicated to Saint Rita in Latin America. The church operated a small cemetery for the…

The African slave trade in Brazil differed from that of the US in some logistical ways. One was that the captive African labor force was set up to be disposable. Slaves were relatively cheap, by comparison, and unlike the US, were generally worked to…

In 1779, the Viceroy of Brazil, Marquis do Lavradio, commissioned a new port logistics project that moved the main slave trade activity away from the center of the city at Praça XV. The Valongo, which means "long valley," was an area of the city that…

Across the street from the Valongo Wharf memorial, you can visit this 19th century warehouse engineered by one of Rio de Janeiro's towering Afro-Brazilian heroes. This construction was the first warehouse built for the Pedro II Docks Company, an…

Cemetery of the New Blacks  The Cemetery of the New Blacks was operational from 1769 until 1830 as part of the Valongo complex. The Valongo was the main slave market, but when that market was moved from outside of the Imperial Palace, all of the…

The José Bonifácio Cultural Center has been a hub of Afro-Brazilian culture for decades. Originally constructed by order of the Emperor Dom Pedro II as part of what was known as "the Emperor's schools," it was the first public high school in Latin…