Sao Paulo Is The Biggest City In South America And A Cultural Showcase

By Tyler Ramos


Sao Paulo in Brazil is the biggest city in the Southern hemisphere. It was established as a village by a local chief and two Jesuit priests and did not grow significantly until the late 19th century. From then on it saw a major influx of immigrants and by 1960 the population had overtaken that of Rio de Janeiro. Named after St Paul it is situated 70 km inland of the port city of Santos which is the location of the very first permanent Portuguese settlement in the new world.

Today most Paulistanos are of foreign decent. The majority of these are Italian, Portuguese, African and Arab but there are also many from Japan, Germany, China and other countries. This makes it a very cosmopolitan city that is known for its restaurants that reflect its international culture. Sao Paulo is also the main business centre in Brazil and most of the main industries as based here.

As the most prominent city in the region is also attracts many prominent cultural and sporting events. As would be expected there is a passion for football and 3 major teams are based here and there are many top stadiums. In 1950 it was one of the host cities for the FIFA World Cup and will be again in 2014. Interlagos has been home to the Brazilian Grand Prix every year since 1990. The Sao Paulo Fashion Week and Bienal are also well known internationally.

A jungle of dense sky scrapers it is third in the world for the number of high rise buildings. Many people use their own cars so traffic tends to be congested. Perhaps this is the reason why it is also known to have the largest helicopter fleet in the world.

An eighteenth century baroque monastery is home to the Museo de Arte Sacra & Jardim da Luz. The museum is considered to be the ultimate collection of colonial art and artifacts in the country. A collection of fine art that is both local and European can be found at the Sao Paulo Museum of Art. This is housed in an architectural marvel on Paulista Avenue. Many other important sights are also on this road.

The centre of dining is in the Jardim district and this is also therefore the centre of the social scene. There is a tendency to eat late and many of the restaurants stay open till 3am. Many popular musicians are attracted to the city and ensure a vibrant night life. The art of Capoeira has also become popular here. This forbidden martial art was turned into a dance which is still a very popular form of entertainment and is often showcased locally.

There are many parks with Parque do Ibirapuera being the most notable and housing a planetarium. Sao Paulo is also known for its shopping and has the largest shopping centre on the continent. One can also experience a traditional market at the Praca da Republica on Sunday mornings.

Sao Paulo also has its own carnival with a parade of Samba schools taking place annually. Every year since 2005 there has been an annual cultural event known as Virada Cultural. This takes place in a number of venues in May of each year and it 24 hours of non stop music, art and culture.




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