Cinelândia

Cinelândia, in Rio de Janeiro

Cinelândia is an emblematic square of the centre of Rio de Janeiro, a cultural and lively heart surrounded by major monuments. The Rio de Janeiro audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this district with an evocative name, formerly a high place of the cinemas and the cafés of the Carioca Belle Époque.

The square of the cinemas and the culture

All this zone is today called Cinelândia, a name that everyone knows in Rio. This nickname, which means the country of cinema, comes to it from the beginning of the twentieth century, when the town, then capital of Brazil, was profoundly transformed and modernised. Great avenues were opened, and this sector covered itself with sumptuous cinemas, theatres, elegant cafés and places of entertainment, that made of it the heart of the nightlife and cultural life of the town, in the image of the great European capitals. The square, officially called Floriano Square, became the meeting point of the Carioca elegance and bohemia. If most of the great cinema halls of the past have today disappeared, the district keeps its lively atmosphere and remains a major cultural centre, surrounded by prestigious monuments: the Municipal Theatre, the National Library and the Museum of Fine Arts. Cinelândia remains a place of gathering, promenade, demonstrations and life, in the beating heart of Rio. An emblematic square and a cultural heart, Cinelândia is a must-see stop of the discovery of Rio de Janeiro.

What to see

Here you discover the emblematic square of the centre of Rio, nicknamed Cinelândia, the country of cinema, since at the beginning of the twentieth century the sector covered itself with sumptuous cinemas, theatres and elegant cafés, heart of the cultural and nightlife; officially Floriano Square, it remains a major cultural centre surrounded by the Municipal Theatre, the National Library and the Museum of Fine Arts. Cinelândia is a cultural heart of Rio. It is a must-see stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

Cinelândia, or Floriano Square, lies in the centre of Rio de Janeiro, reachable on foot and by metro, of which a station bears the name. It is a freely accessible public space, lively and surrounded by cultural monuments. The usual vigilance in the town centre is required.

Where does the name of Cinelândia come from in Rio de Janeiro?

It comes from the beginning of the twentieth century, when this sector of the centre, modernised at the time when Rio was capital of Brazil, covered itself with sumptuous cinemas, theatres and elegant cafés, becoming the heart of the cultural and nightlife; Cinelândia means the country of cinema, and the square, officially Floriano, remains a major cultural centre.

Where is Cinelândia in Rio de Janeiro?

In the centre of Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil.