Praça Onze
Praça Onze is a historic site in the central region of Rio de Janeiro. It is located in the Centro district, on the border with the Cidade Nova district. The original Praça Onze de Junho, named after the date of the Battle of Riachuelo, existed until the 1940s. It bordered the streets of Santana, Marquês de Pombal, Senador Euzébio and Visconde de Itaúna.
Originally called Largo do Rocio Pequeno, it became one of the most cosmopolitan places in Rio de Janeiro in the early decades of the 20th century, as it housed newly landed immigrant families. The most popular ethnic groups were blacks, followed by Jews of various origins. Portuguese, Spanish and Italians were also numerous.
History
The site was uninhabited until the end of the 18th century, as the land was unsuitable for farming and building due to the marshy nature of the area. After the Portuguese Royal Family arrived in Rio de Janeiro and settled in the Paço de São Cristóvão, the first access roads to the area were built. In 1810, by order of King John VI, the Cidade Nova was created, stretching from Campo de Santana to São Cristovão. The area had straight streets and large plots, very different from the central area, which was congested with houses on narrow plots. He also created the Largo do Rocio Pequeno, where the São Diogo Mangrove began.Despite being the only commercial square in Cidade Nova, Rocio Pequeno remained abandoned. In 1842, during the Second Reign, a neoclassical fountain designed by Grandjean de Montigny was installed in the center of the area to supply the surrounding houses and establishments. In 1854, with the construction and inauguration of the Gas Factory, the Viscount of Mauá recognized the need to channel the mangrove swamp, cleaning up the path to Guanabara Bay and providing a waterway system linking the suburbs to the city center. In 1858, he inaugurated the Dom Pedro II Railway, which ran through Cidade Nova, connecting it to several suburbs and the interior of the province. After Brazil's victory in the Battle of Riachuelo, Largo do Rocio Pequeno was renamed after the date of the conflict. At the time, with the decline of the slave system, Praça Onze de Junho became a popular destination for immigrants, due to the proximity to the port and the varied commerce.
African cultural presence
After slavery was abolished, large masses of former slaves settled in the precarious one-bedroom houses that existed in the streets adjacent to the Praça Onze de Junho. Later, they moved into improvised shacks on the slopes of the hills. One of these settlements was called Morro da Favela by soldiers returning from the Canudos War and originated the name of highly populated urban residential area of weak build quality in Brazil.At the beginning of the 20th century, Praça Onze de Junho was the stronghold of the black population of Rio de Janeiro. Samba originated in the region, combining the batucada brought by the blacks from Bahia and the lundu from Rio de Janeiro. One of the important locations for the creation of samba was the house of Tia Ciata, a woman from Bahia who moved to Rio de Janeiro and used to cook snacks. She became famous in the square and her house turned into a meeting place for musicians and local people.
The house of Tia Ciata served as the principal place where African music and rhythms were played in the community. In 1926, due to police harassment, some local composers founded a "samba school", a euphemistic name for a recreational association that had no educational aims. The first was Deixa Falar, whose divisions would result in several other schools, such as Estácio de Sá, Mangueira and Portela. In 1933, Mayor Pedro Ernesto organized the first official samba school parade in Praça Onze de Junho, which Mangueira won.