20. Parque Lage x Parque da Catacumba

Section: Parque Lage x Parque da Catacumba

Orientation

Technical Information

Attractions

Section Map

Interactive Map

How to Get There

This section can be reached either from Parque Lage in the Jardim Botânico neighborhood or from those coming from the trail from Cachoeira dos Primatas, Paineiras, or Corcovado. There are also several bus lines that pass in front of Parque Lage or in front of Parque da Catacumba.

Route Description

(West to East direction / Barra de Guaratiba to Morro da Urca)

For those starting this section leaving Parque Lage, it is very important to pay attention to the signage with yellow footprints/black base, as the route goes through neighborhood streets until reaching the bike path (500 m). Once on the bike path, just walk keeping the lagoon on your right and checking the signage. The walk will pass by a square on your left with kiosks and children's playground, and further ahead the Botafogo Rowing Club serves as a reference.

Now walk further (900 m) and reach the crossing via the footbridge right next to the Petrobras station. Walk further (350 m) crossing the lanes via the footbridge and you will arrive at the Gate of Parque da Catacumba. Inside the park there are restrooms and a snack bar. The viewpoints are part of the Main Trail, just follow the signage to find all the park's attractions.

(East to West direction / Morro da Urca to Barra de Guaratiba)

For those who came down the trail at Parque da Catacumba or will start at the gate of this Park heading towards Parque Lage, just follow the signage with black footprints/yellow base and orient yourself with Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas on your left and the lane on your right side. Then cross near the Ipiranga station right after the Vasco da Gama Rowing Stadium (3.0 km).

Attractions

Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, although it receives water from several tributary rivers that descend from the surrounding slopes, among which the Rio dos Macacos (now channeled) stands out, has brackish waters.

The lagoon has two islands: Ilha Piraquê, on the western shore, which houses the Sports Department of the Naval Club, and Ilha Caiçaras, on the southern shore, which houses the Caiçaras Club.

Since 1995, during Christmas time, there is a tradition of setting up a giant illuminated Christmas tree, taking advantage of its water mirror.

Parque da Catacumba (Parque Natural Municipal da Catacumba) is an ideal place to stroll and spend a few hours of leisure or retreat to a place of peace and tranquility, amidst gardens surrounded by dense and beautiful vegetation. There are also eco-adventure sports activities (zip line, treetop climbing, rappelling) on site for those who enjoy interacting with nature in a more dynamic way. http://lagoaaventuras.com.br/

In the lower part of the park, the paths are winding and sloping, paved with stones, which together with gardens, squares, and lawns give a special charm to the place. In the park it is possible to find several outdoor artworks.

There is a trail that leads to a rustic viewpoint, at the top of the hill on whose slope Parque da Catacumba is located. Once reaching the top of the hill, it is possible to have a beautiful view of the Lagoon, Pedra da Gávea, Ipanema, Leblon, Morro Dois Irmãos, Serra da Carioca, and Christ the Redeemer.

Commerce/Accommodation

Currently there is no partnership between the Transcarioca Trail and local businesses.

Along the route by Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas there are several kiosks and snack bars at gas stations. At Parque Lage there is a cafeteria and at Parque da Catacumba a small snack bar.

Water Points

Along the route by Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas there are several kiosks and snack bars at gas stations. At Parque Lage there is a cafeteria and at Parque da Catacumba a small snack bar.

Photos

Historical Facts

Initially the lagoon region was inhabited by the Tamoio Indians, who called it Piraguá (meaning "fish cove"). Curiously, with the arrival of the Portuguese colonizer, the governor and captain-general of the Captaincy of Rio de Janeiro, António Salema (1575-1578), intended to install a sugar mill on the shores of the lagoon. To get rid of the unwanted presence of the indigenous people, he resorted to the stratagem of spreading clothes previously used by smallpox patients along the lagoon's shores, thus exterminating them.

The current name is a tribute to the young Portuguese cavalry officer, Rodrigo de Freitas de Carvalho, who gave his name to the lagoon. A widower, Rodrigo de Freitas returned to Portugal in 1717, where he passed away in 1748.

During the 19th century, various solutions were considered for the problem of renewing its waters, until, in 1922, the Sanitation Department of Rural Areas presented a project aimed at "sanitizing and beautifying the Capital for the celebrations of the Centenary of Independence." This project consisted of opening a canal, through dredging, deepening the bar, reconnecting the lagoon to the sea. With its execution, the earth removed from the canal formed Ilha dos Caiçaras, now the headquarters of the club of the same name. Soon, landfills appeared on its shores that gradually reduced its water mirror, giving rise to the Jockey Club Brasileiro, the Jardim de Alá, and the sports headquarters of the Naval Club on Ilha do Piraquê. The dredged canal became known as Canal do Jardim de Alá.

According to archives of the Social Service Library of the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro, the land where the Catacumba existed was occupied by a farm throughout the 19th century. Its former owner, the Baronesa da Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, transferred the possession of the lands to her slaves.

But the explanation of the name Catacumba originates from even more remote times. According to the old residents of the favela, the site was used by the Indians as a cemetery. However, there has never been confirmation about possible skeletons found in the region.

Around 1925, the State divided the Chácara das Catacumbas into 32 lots. The first shacks of the future favela began to be built in the 1930s. But the population explosion only happened in the 1940s, with the arrival of a wave of migrants coming mainly from the state of Maranhão.

On August 7, 1967, the Jornal do Brasil described the daily life in the favela as follows: "At five in the morning, Catacumba begins to disgorge its residents. Maids, cooks, and nannies go down the stairs, heading to the 'madams' houses.' Workers (a large number of construction workers) form lines at the two bus stops or walk on foot towards Copacabana, Ipanema, and Leblon. A little later, the people coming down the hill have another aspect: it is the time of civil servants, of children going to school, and of the great movement of washerwomen, who leave home early to take advantage of the weak morning sun for washing and, later, the stronger sun for drying clothes."

Favela da Catacumba was removed in 1970 by the former governor of Guanabara, Negrão de Lima. Catacumba was a favela with no way of being urbanized and in a location of high risk of landslides. Together with other favelas around the lagoon (Praia do Pinto, Macedo Sobrinho, and Ilha das Dragas, all extinct), Catacumba contributed with untreated sewage that was dumped directly into Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas. The community had 2,320 shacks (most of wood) and about 15 thousand inhabitants. There was no drinking water service in the community. For 89% of residents, the day started early at the 15 public water spouts that existed close to the asphalt.

Most families from Catacumba were transferred to the Guaporé-Quitungo Housing Complex, built by COHAB in Penha, while others were removed to Cidade de Deus and State Proletarian Parks.

Adopting Group

Groups of volunteer adopters of this section who organize group work efforts and receive volunteers:

Clube da Natureza
Name: João Pires
Email: joaohpires@hotmail.com