Arcos da Lapa
Colonial stone aqueduct turned tram viaduct, its forty-two arches shading Rio's bohemian quarter.
Location
About this audio guide
This guide to the Arcos da Lapa in Rio de Janeiro traces the transformation of a colonial aqueduct built between 1723 and 1750 by Portuguese engineer Jose Fernandes Pinto Alpoim into a tram viaduct after 1896, and the neighborhood of bars and cafes that grew up in its shadow. It follows the musicians who gathered there without money for a conservatory, inventing samba and choro through the night, among them a medical student turned songwriter, Noel Rosa, and his friend Cartola, another composer of the same scene.
This audio guide was created using AI.
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