Botafogo

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Botafogo is a beachfront neighborhood (bairro) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is mostly a middle and high-class and small commerce community, located between the hills of Mundo Novo, Santa Marta (separating it from Laranjeiras) and Morro de São João (separating it from Copacabana). It is named after João Pereira de Sousa Botafogo, who was its landowner in colonial times. Its name literally means "set it on fire" and is related to the Italian surname Buttafuoco.

Botafogo's beach is within Guanabara Bay, sheltered from the Atlantic Ocean by the Urca peninsula and Sugarloaf Mountain. Attractions include the Home of Rui Barbosa, the Museu do Índio - which explores the culture and history of the major indigenous peoples of Brazil - and the Villa Lobos Museum. With a high concentration of cafés and cinemas, including several movie theaters that feature arthouse films, Botafogo has a decidedly traditional tone, setting it apart from the nearby beach neighborhoods. Former Brazil president Fernando Henrique Cardoso resided for a brief period of time in his childhood in the Botafogo neighbourhood. It is also home to two of the city's largest shopping centers, Botafogo Praia Shopping and RioSul. Botafogo is also the birthplace of opera star Bidu Sayão.

The metro station is on linha 1.

Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas is also a name of a multimodality sportive association, one of Brazil's biggest soccer teams in Rio de Janeiro.