Sunday, May 23, 2010

Sugar Loaf from 2008 on / Pão de Açúcar de 2008 até agora

It is said that the Portuguese people gave this name to the cliff during the culture of sugar cane’s period in Brazil (16th and 17th centuries): after squeezing and boiling the sap, the sugar blocks were put in a mould, called “sugar loaf”, in order to transport them to Europe. The similarity between that mould and the Carioca cliffs originated the name, which was spread around during the second half of the 19th century, when Rio de Janeiro received many artists, among others Jean Baptiste Debret, the French painter who the best exalted the beauty of Sugar Loaf in his magnificent draws and engravings. On the Sugar Loaf's foot hills, in 1565, the city of San Sebastian of Rio de Janeiro was founded. The inauguration of the cable car, in 1912, launched the country abroad, as it was the first one in Brazil and the third in the world. That event was the turning point for the tourism in the country. Below, some photos of the last cable car's remodeling, in 2008, now almost totally in glass!

Acredita-se que foram os portugueses que deram esse nome ao morro, pois durante o período da cultura da cana-de-açúcar no Brasil (séculos XVI e XVII), após a cana ser espremida e o caldo fervido, os blocos de açúcar eram colocados em uma forma de barro, denominada “pão de açúcar”, para transportá-lo para a Europa. A semelhança do penhasco carioca com aquela forma de barro teria originado o nome, o qual se espalhou a partir da segunda metade do século XIX, quando o Rio de Janeiro recebeu várias missões artísticas. Foi o francês Jean Baptiste Debret que, em magníficos desenhos e gravuras, melhor exaltou e difundiu a beleza do Pão de Açúcar. Aos pés do morro, em 1º de março de 1565, foi fundada a Cidade de São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro. A inauguração do teleférico, em 1912, projetou o nome do Brasil no exterior, pois foi o primeiro bondinho instalado no Brasil e o terceiro no mundo, alavancando o desenvolvimento do turismo nacional. Abaixo, algumas fotos da última reforma, em 2008, com o bondinho agora quase que totalmente de vidro!











4 comments:

Johnny Madrid aka Tim E. said...

Time to put on some Tom Jobim and enjoy these beautiful pictures. ;)

Vania Moreira said...

Wow, do you like Tom Jobim??? I love him!!! Yes, these photos match perfectly with his "bossa nova" songs...
I also loved your comment, Tim, thanks!

fazrul arhan said...

Below, some photos of the last cable car's remodeling, in 2008, now almost totally in glass! - Vania

If it is not in glass, by what it was made before? Just asking,lol :)

Vania Moreira said...

Hi Fazrul, my friend, nice to see you here after so long!!!
The first cable cars were made of wood, as you can see on the black and white pics! And the one remodeled in 1972 started using glass, but also stainless steel. Nowadays they are almost totally in glass in a very modern and clean design, what is very good for taking nice pics and viewing the landscapes. It looks like flying, can you imagine that?