History | Brazil to the World

Oscar Niemeyer’s Museum – Curitiba (PR)

Posted on November 23, 2015 by Renata

For those who doesn’t know him, he was a Brazilian architect who is considered to be one of the key figures in the development of modern architecture. Niemeyer was best known for his design of civic buildings for Brasília, a planned city that became Brazil’s capital in 1960, as well as his collaboration with other architects on the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. His exploration of the aesthetic possibilities of reinforced concrete was highly influential in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. He died in 2012 at the age of 104.

The Museum

The eye

Oscar Niemeyer’s Museum (MON) is located in the city of Curitiba, in the state of Paraná, south of Brazil. It was inaugurated in 2002 with the name Novo Museu or New Museum. With the conclusion of remodeling and the construction of a new annex, it was reinaugurated on July 8, 2003, with the current denomination to honor its famous architect who completed this project at 95 years of age. It is also known as Museu do Olho or Museum of the Eye, due to the design of the building.

Imperial Museum of Brazil – Petropolis (RJ)

Posted on November 16, 2015 by Renata

View from the garden to the Museum.

The former summer place in the middle of Petropolis – RJ was buit in the mid-1800’s. Displays include the Brazilian Imperial Crown and Imperial Carriage. The museum is an hour’s drive from Rio de Janeiro’s city center and is one Brazil’s most popular museum with an average of 300.000 per year.

The Palace

Built between 1845-1862 to be a summer residence, the palace is considered the origin of the city named for the emperor and his father, Pedro I. Brazil’s first emperor had been charmed by the region in 1822, not long before he proclaimed Brazil independent. In 1830, he bought the farm where the palace was built.

The palace was designed by German engineer and Brazilian Army Major Júlio Frederico Koeler and followed through by architects Joaquim Cândido Guilhobel and José Maria Jacinto Rebelo after his death. Some of the outstanding features of the neoclassical building are the vestibule floor in Carrara marble and black marble from Belgium, floors and door frames made of noble woods such as jacaranda and rosewood.

The gardens were designed by Jean Baptiste Binot, under the emperor’s personal guidance, with native plants, some of them rare.

Some interesting facts!

Posted on September 24, 2015 by Renata

There is Ronaldo da Silva prison in Santa Rita Do Sapucai, Brazil allows inmates to pedal stationary bicycles that power street lights in a nearby city in exchange for reduced sentences.
In another program, prisons is Brazil offer their prisoners reduced sentence of 4 days (up to 48 days/year) for every Book they read and write a report on.
Brazil has twice authorized illegal, local production of patented HIV/AIDS drugs in order to save the lives of its people.
Only 388,000 slaves were brought to the U.S. One million went to Jamaica and nearly five million went to Brazil.
In 2003, Brazil became the first country in the world to totally ban indoor tanning for anyone of any age.
In preparation for the world cup, last year, prostitutes in Brazil were enrolling in free English classes so that they can provide better service for tourists. (Yes, prostitution is allowed and from a few years is considered a real profession)
Apple lost its rights to use the iPhone trademark in Brazil because a local company, Gradiente Eletronicas, had registered it back in 2000.
Tiririca, a Brazilian Clown, used slogans including “What does a federal congressman do? I really don’t know – but if you vote for me, I’ll tell ya” and “It can’t get any worse, vote Tiririca”. He became the second-most-voted congressman in Brazil’s history, with 1,348,295 votes.

More facts soon!

Did you know? Fast facts!

Posted on September 7, 2015 by Renata

Official name: Federative Republic of Brazil

Official language: Portuguese

Second accepted language: English, for business purposes. (Don’t think you’ll find people talking everywhere)

Flag’s colors: green, yellow, blue and white with 27 stars representing the states and the capital

Independence day: September 7, 1822

Population as of 2015: 204,024,033

Capital of Brazil: Brasília*

Population of Brasília: 3,099,000

Largest cities (in decrescent order): São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Brasília

Primary religion: 65% Roman Catholic, followed by 22% Protestants, 10% non religious and 5% others (mostly Spiritist, Umbandists, Candomblers, Mormons, Buddhists, Jews and Muslims)

GDP per Capita for country: $9,600 in USA currency

Life span: around 80

Brazil’s flag motto: Order and Progress. It’s inspired by Auguste Comte’s motto of positivism: “L’amour pour principe et l’ordre pour base; le progrès pour but” (“Love as a principle and order as the basis; progress as the goal”).

*Brasília is one of the most recent capitals in the world; it was designed by Oscar Niemeyer and built between 1956-April 21, 1960, when it was founded, by the President Juscelino Kubitschek (aka JK).