Inspired by French architecture, the technique arrived in Rio in 1905, along with Pereira Passos's urban reform. The flooring matched the sanitary measures of the time and was considered ideal for water drainage.
Avenida Central (now Avenida Rio Branco) was the first to be paved with the noble designs: a total of 23,031 meters of Portuguese stones. For this project, 32 master pavers were brought over from Lisbon, along with 3,280 tons of stone carried as ballast in the ship's hold.
Central Avenue around 1910. You can see the patterns made with Portuguese cobblestones. IMS Collection
Image description: This is a historic black-and-white photograph of a municipal theater. The image shows a wide street with trees and lampposts along both sides. On the left, there is a majestic building with domes and elaborate architectural details. On the right, there is another building with a sloped roof. In the center of the image, there is a sign reading "Theatro Municipal." The sky is clear, and the lighting suggests the photo was taken during the day.Copacabana beach was the second area of the city to receive Portuguese stones - it was 4.2km of stones, and the work was completed in 1908. Maintenance was a major challenge: with every storm surge, the stones had to be put back in place, and the patterns underwent several changes. It was only in 1969, with Burle Marx's project, that the waves acquired their virtuous and unique movement that became known worldwide.
In the early twentieth century, Copacabana's waves headed out to sea. Photo taken from the Eliomar website
Image description: This is an old photograph of Leme-Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro. On the left side, we see a mountain with an irregular shape, while on the right there is another, flatter mountain. In the center, there are scattered buildings, possibly houses or other structures. On the right, there is an architectural structure with columns, which appears to be a temple or monument. The background shows a beach with light-colored sand, where lines of shadows stand out, which may belong to people or objects. The image is in black and white. At the top, it reads "LEME - COPACABANA RIO DE JANEIRO".Designed by architect Orlando Magdalena and listed as cultural heritage in 1987, the musical sidewalks of Vila Isabel are a great example of the use of Portuguese stones as a means of communication. Immortalized on the sidewalk of Boulevard 28 de Setembro are the sheet music of 20 songs, such as Feitiço da Vila by Noel Rosa and Carinhoso by Pixinguinha.
Musical sidewalk in Vila Isabel. Photo taken from the RJ Monuments Inventory website
Image description: This is a photograph of a Portuguese stone pavement with a complex geometric pattern. On the left side, we see a strip of sidewalk and a green lamppost. In the center, there is a square hole in the pavement. On the right, we see people walking on the pavement. The pattern is made up of straight and curved lines, forming repetitive geometric shapes.Starting in the 1930s, the Portuguese stone mosaic became more popular and inspired artists and architects. The stones left the flooring and began to decorate panels and internal murals, public spaces, and building entrances.
References: TEIXEIRA, Iolanda. The Book I Tread On. Memória Brasil: 1976.
