Santa Teresa, Rio de Janeiro

Santa Teresa Convent

The neighborhood arose in the 1750s on the Morro Desterro ("Right Hill"), emerging from the eponymous Catholic convent. It was one of Rio de Janeiro's first expansions out of the initial Portuguese settlement in the city center. Initially inhabited by the upper class of the time, several houses and mansions were built, inspired by French architecture of the time, many of which are standing today. All throughout its history, Santa Teresa received many European immigrants.

Around 1850 many people, fleeing the yellow fever epidemic in the city, flocked to the neighborhood. As it was at a higher altitude, Santa Teresa was less affected by the epidemic than the surrounding neighborhoods.

Santa Teresa tram

In 1872, a tramline was constructed to connect Santa Teresa to downtown Rio de Janeiro, which further advanced the access to the neighborhood. The tram ran up the streets of Rua Joaquim Murtinho and Rua Almirante Alexandrino, crossing the Carioca Aqueduct. Initially, the tram was drawn by mules, before it was equipped with engines and an electrified grid in 1896. The tramcars' colours ranged from green, silver and blue, but came to be painted bright yellow after complaints from residents who said that the tram "disappeared" amid the greenery of the neighborhood. The iconic yellow trams or bondes has become a symbol of Santa Teresa.

By means of organized demonstrations, residents were able to preserve the historic tram system by convincing the government to release funds for the streetcars. After an accident with a tram in 2011 that killed five people, all service on the tram line was suspended for four years, in order to modernize the system.

Revitalization

Over time, Santa Teresa lost its status as an upscale neighborhood, like many of the historic districts of Rio's South zone. In recent years however, it has become a district of cultural interest because of its architectural value and prime location. In 2009 the city council started a gentrification program to revitalize the neighborhood. Walls were built to stop the surrounding favelas from growing; and taxes were imposed on water, energy and gas supply in order to decrease the number of poor people.

Culture

Traditionally Santa Teresa is a renowned gathering place for intellectuals, academics, artists and politicians, who are attracted by its historic character, cultural life and standard of living. Due to this profile, it is a former district of opinion with political participation in popular movements. There are also a large number of NGOs who provide services and support to the favelas located around Santa Teresa.

Santa Teresa is also a vibrant gastronomic center, mainly around the Largo dos Guimarães, as well as an artistic center. Due to the large number of artists and art studios, the neighborhood has come to be called Rio's Montmartre. The bohemian lifestyle has contributed to Santa Teresa being a main tourist attraction of Rio de Janeiro, as well as its recognition as one of the most unique neighborhoods in the world in 2016.

The neighborhood, affectionately called "Santa" by locals, is composed of several steep staircases, slopes, cobbled roads and tortuous alleys, which provide the character of the neighborhood. These sloping roads connect Santa Teresa to the surrounding districts of Centro, Glória, Laranjeiras, Fátima, Cosme Velho, Catumbi, Catete and Rio Comprido. At the highest point of Santa Teresa, which gives access to Tijuca National Park and Corcovado, there is a broad panoramic view of the city.

Education

The Associação Civil de Divulgação Cultural e Educacional Japonesa do Rio de Janeiro ("Civil Association of Japanese Educational and Cultural Dissemination of Rio de Janeiro", known in Japanese as the "Rio de Janeiro Japanese School"), a Japanese international day school, was previously located in Santa Teresa. It is now located in Cosme Velho.