In 1823, when Jose Bonifacio spoke of moving the capital of Brazil to a more central location, many considered it a very unlikely dream. Nevertheless, Brasília, the unique capital in the heart of the country already celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Brasília, the capital of Brazil, belongs to one of the most unique cities in the world. As the only metropolis built in the 20th century, it is the youngest capital in the world. Thanks to its unique design it has been added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.
The story of its foundation is also rather interesting. After Brazil became an empire (1823), the advisor to Emperor Pedro I, Jose Bonifácio, first mentioned an idea about creating a more central capital of the country. However, it took more than a century for this dream to come true.
In 1950s the debate on creating a more regionally neutral capital was re-opened. The southeast region around Rio de Janeiro was overpopulated and the then President Juscelino Kubitschek made the ambitious decision to go ahead with the planning. Brazil’s foremost planning genius, Lúcio Costa, won the bid to design the city. He worked very closely with the world-famous architect Oscar Niemeyer. Together, they created a modern-day masterpiece which impresses with both charm and efficiency.
The building took 41 months to complete and today, Brasília is home to approximately 2.6 million people. It was officially inaugurated on 21st April, 1960. It is a strikingly friendly city with many appealing landmarks. Among the most famous ones belongs the Square of the Three Powers, Eixo Monumental, and the National Congress.
Palácio da Alvorada is home to the President of Brazil and Palácio do Planalto is where he works. Lake Paranoá is also worth a peek, as this giant artificial lake holds the second largest marina in the country and is crossed by the most impressive structure – the Juscelino Kubitschek Bridge, designed to commemorate the President who made the dream of Brasília come true.
