Praça Mauá
| Praça Mauá | |
|---|---|
Praça Mauá, with the statue of its namesake, the Viscount of Mauá, in the foreground, and the Museum of Tomorrow in the background. | |
| Type | Urban park |
| Location | Centro, Rio de Janeiro |
| Coordinates | 22°53′46″S 43°10′50″W / 22.89611°S 43.18056°W |
| Area | 25,000 square metres (0.025 km2) |
| Created | 1910 |
| Status | Open all year |
Praça Mauá (English: Mauá Square) is a square situated in the Centro neighborhood of the Zona Central of Rio de Janeiro. With an area of 25,000 m², it is part of the Orla Conde, a public sidewalk that runs alongside Guanabara Bay.
The square was established in the beginning of the 20th century, later being reinaugurated on 6 September 2015 after being renovated. The revitalization of the square was made as part of Porto Maravilha, an urban renewal project that seeks to revitalize the Zona Portuária of Rio de Janeiro.
Praça Mauá marked the start of Avenida Rio Branco, as well as the Port of Rio de Janeiro, giving the numbering of the warehouses that begin at the square. The center of the square is occupied by a statue of Irineu Evangelista de Sousa, the Viscount of Mauá, a pioneer in various areas of the Brazilian economy. The Viscount of Mauá, which also gave the plaza it's name, was responsible for the construction of the Mauá Railway, the first railway in Brazil, and for the creation of the Banco do Brasil, among other achievements. Built on top of a column, the sculpture is the work of Rodolfo Bernardelli and was inaugurated in 1910 at the initiative of the Clube de Engenharia.