Praça da Alfândega

Da Alfândega Square is a historic square, located in downtown Porto AlegPraça da Alfândega, Rua Siqueira Campos, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazilre, near the lake Guaíba, and being surrounded by important buildings, some of them historical, such as Santander Cultural, the MARGS, Memorial do Rio Grande do Sul, the former Cine Guarany the headquarters of BANRISUL Rua da Praia Shopping, among others.

Its origin dates from the late eighteenth century, appearing in the place where was the old fluvial port of the city. On July 2, 1783 the council determined that they build a stone piers along the river to facilitate the landing of passengers and goods. In 1804 the Provincial Governor, Paulo da Gama, who was ordered to widen the berth with the construction of a pier, which was considered a work remarkable for its size, with 24 monumental pillars entering the riverbed, and that allowed the landing of smacks and yachts large. At this time it is alleged that the presence of a plaza in front of the pier, with the first building of Customs of the city. In this square traders and greengrocers gathered , with their tents arranged disorderly.

When it came to building a bigger building for the Customs, in 1820, traders were compelled to move to the then Paradise Square, now Square XV, and there was resistance, and finally permitted to occupy the west side of the square to trade . At the same time Silvestre de Souza Telles, based on a concession received, claimed ownership of part of the area that made money with the Customs, which threatened the expansion plans of the street by the authorities. The claimant was finally revoked his concession, and the government arranged that the access to the pier to Customs was cleared of hawkers and temporary buildings.

However, governmental efforts were insufficient to keep the place clean and clear, making it a deposit of debris. The situation improved between 1856 and 1858 when it was erected a stone wall with stairs along the river, the alignment of what is now the street Sete de Setembro. In 1866 began afforestation, starting with only nine trees planted by contract, and a fountain was installed , but then the square was delivered to the surrounding residents to adorn the garden, under the guidance of the public engineering . Some years after there were already benches on the sidewalk and a kiosk. On March 14, 1883 its name was changed from Praça da Alfândega to Praça Senator Florencio.

Decisive for the present conformation of the square was the demolition of the old Da Alfândega building in 1912, and the filling of a range of 100 feet wide inland from the river, between Da Alfândega building gate to the harbor, and in this area were built today MARGS buildings and RS Memorial, incorporating even the small square Barão do Rio Branco to the new square.

In 1920 a series of silk cotton that had grown to the point of harming nearby crops and landscaping of the site were removed. In 1933 the equestrian monument of General Osório was installed in the center of the street, with reflecting pools, fountains and benches, and in 1979 was absorbed into the bed of the street Sete de Setembro, at the same time that the town would lose a fraction of the west to make way for construction of the building of Caixa Economica Federal. In 2007 works were carried out archaeological prospecting in order to discover the exact location of the ancient harbor of stone and other remnants of the old conformation of the Square.

The square is one of the most traditional of the city, and has many monuments and sculptures in their places, among them the most important are the Monument to Barão of Rio Branco, the Monument to General Osorio, the Hermas dedicated to Antonio Carlos Lopes, Caldas Junior, Leonardo Truda and Baron of St. Angelo, and the group of sculptures by Sheila and Carlos Drummond de Andrade directed by Francisco Stockinger. Some of its monuments have been vandalized unfortunately, having stolen pieces of bronze or repeatedly being pitched.

Also it works, except for weekends, a number of street vendors with their stalls, selling mainly crafts and leather goods, crystal, paintings and incense. Since 1955, when the second fortnight of October, it happens in the traditional square Book Fair of Porto Alegre, organized by the Chamber Riograndense Book (CRL), attracting thousands of visitors who seek new releases and national or international many offers of used books at very low cost, to attend music concerts, dance and theater that happen every day, and enjoy the spectacle of the great silk cotton, ipe and jacaranda in full bloom this time of year.

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Activities near to Praça da Alfândega

Saint Peter Theater (theater) - Located in the heart of the capital, opposite the Cathedral Square and known among the city's ancient buildings, the Theatro São Pedro, preserved in Neoclassical structure, was founded on June 27, 1858.Over the years, the site staged plays and artistic, social and political state, in addition to storing various vocations in their history and trends, combining the simple to the remarkable.In 1972, the theater closed its doors for lack o... Address: Pc Mal Deodoro, 1 - Centro, Porto Alegre - RS Distance: 0.27km from the Praça da Alfândega
Memorial do Rio Grande do Sul (museum) - The idea of creating an institution that emphasized the gaucho culture emerged between 1995 and 1996, being implemented through a partnership between federal and state governments in September 1996. It was agreed at that time that the headquarters of the post office for almost a century, would house a place of dissemination of culture and memory Rio Grande. The agreement for transfer of the building also led the creation of a Post... Address: Rua Sete de Setembro 1020, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil Distance: 0.32km from the Praça da Alfândega
Santander Cultural (museum) - Santander is a cultural institution of Santander Brazil, formed by the banks Santander and Real, focused on the integration and dissemination of the diversity of languages and artistic-cultural. Committed to contemporary culture, with the knowledge and the socio-economic development, operates in the fields of visual arts, music, film and reflection. Committed to the integration of various social, Santander Cultural works through ... Address: Rua Sete de Setembro, 1028, Porto Alegre - Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil Distance: 0.33km from the Praça da Alfândega

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Hotels near to Praça da Alfândega

Master Express Grande Hotel Master Express Grande Hotel is conveniently located in the popular Porto Alegre City Center area. The hotel offers a wide range of amenities and perks to ensure you have a great time. To be found at the hotel are room service, laundry service/dry cleaning, 24hr room service, valet parking, safety deposit boxes. Relax in your comfortable guestroom, featuring satellite/cable TV, air conditioning, in...

Lido Hotel Lido Hotel is perfectly located for both business and leisure guests in Porto Alegre. The hotel offers a high standard of service and amenities to suit the individual needs of all travelers. All the necessary facilities, including laundry service/dry cleaning, valet parking, elevator, 24hr room service, business center, are at hand. Relax in your comfortable guestroom, featuring television, mini b...

Hotel Scala The 2-star Hotel Scala offers comfort and convenience whether you're on business or holiday in Porto Alegre. Offering a variety of facilities and services, the hotel provides all you need for a good night's sleep. Facilities like laundry service/dry cleaning, meeting facilities, elevator, 24hr room service, business center are readily available for you to enjoy. Each guestroom is elegantly furnish...

Harbor Regente Suites Hotel The Harbor Regente Suites Hotel is located in Porto Alegre making it one of the best hotels to stay at while in town. All hotel's guestrooms have all the conveniences expected in a hotel in its class to suit guests' utmost comforts. Each guestroom features amenities such as non smoking rooms, air conditioning, desk, hair dryer, internet access. This beautiful Porto Alegre accommodation provides ro...