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Conceição Hill

Metropolitana | Rio de Janeiro | Saúde | Sightseeing

Conceição Hill  (credits: Marcelo Frazão )

Situated in the Saúde district, in the city center, next to the Castelo, Santo Antônio and São Bento hills, the Conceição Hill has been a landmark of the Portuguese occupation of the city since its foundation in 1565. Even after having been surrounded by commercial buildings it manages to retain its quiet and the historical significance of many of its residences, which include centuries-old two-story edifices and back-to-back houses for factory workers.

That region’s attractions and peculiarities include the Ballgame Street (Rua do Jogo da Bola) and the Man John Slope (Ladeira João Homem), easily identifiable by its Portuguese looks. Streets such as Mato Grosso and rowhouses like those seen in Dew Lane (Travessa do Sereno) are examples of carioca living in the last three centuries. The Episcopal Palace, the Our Lady of Conception Fortress (erected in 1718), the Saint Francis of Prainha church (dated from 1696) and the Valongo Observatory are some of the Conceição Hill’s historical attractions.

Cultural activity has been growing in that region, and there are several artists’s workshops on Ballgame Street (Rua do Jogo da Bola) and the Man John Slope (Ladeira João Homem)

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In 2010, pop singer Beyoncé shot scenes at Conceição Hill for her music vídeo Put it in a love song, alongside Alicia Keyes.

The Salt Rock (Pedra do Sal) sits at the foot of the hill. Until the end of the 19th century the ocean waters used to reach up to here, and this is where the slave ships unloaded their human cargo, brought from Africa.

Tags: conceicao-hill,  rio-film-commission,  portuguese-occupation.

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