Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro

Duque de Caxias is a city near Guanabara Bay and is part of the Rio de Janeiro metropolitan area in southeastern Brazil. It is next to Rio de Janeiro city to the south.

The city is named after Luís Alves de Lima e Silva, Duke of Caxias, who was born there long ago. Important jobs in the city include making chemicals and cleaning oil.

The local football team is called Duque de Caxias Futebol Clube. They play at Estádio Romário de Souza Faria. Another stadium, Estádio De Los Larios, is in the area of Xerém. It is where Esporte Clube Tigres do Brasil plays.

History

Monarchy

The area now called Duque de Caxias was first settled in the 1500s. Early settlers grew sugar, corn, beans, and rice. Rivers were the main way to move goods because there were few roads. The Port of Estrela became an important place for trade.

When gold was found nearby, Duque de Caxias became a stop for travelers and goods. But cutting down trees caused rivers to flood. This made it hard to live there.

Republic

Later, new railroads connected Duque de Caxias to Rio de Janeiro. This brought more people and jobs. The government cleaned up rivers and built bridges.

As more people moved in, the area grew quickly. By the 1940s, it became its own city, named Duque de Caxias. Many families from other parts of Brazil came here to find work and a new home.

Geography

The city of Duque de Caxias is next to Guanabara Bay and is part of the Rio de Janeiro area in Brazil. It is bordered by Petrópolis and Miguel Pereira to the north, the Bay of Guanabara and Magé to the east, Rio de Janeiro city to the south, and São João do Meriti, Belford Roxo, and Nova Iguaçu to the west. The weather is usually hot, but some places are cooler because of parks and the Serra dos Órgãos mountains.

Duque de Caxias has parts of the Tinguá Biological Reserve, a protected forest area made in 1989, and the Taquara Municipal Nature Park, which many people visit in summer. The Meriti River separates Duque de Caxias from Rio de Janeiro city, and the Rio Iguaçu separates it from Nova Iguaçu. Other rivers, like the Rio Sarapuí and Saracuruna River, help shape the city's different areas.

Economy

The city of Duque de Caxias has grown a lot in recent years, especially in industry and trade. It has many factories and shops. In 2005, it had a big economy and was an important place in Rio de Janeiro.

Many big companies are in Duque de Caxias, such as the O Globo newspaper and the Carrefour store. The city is close to important roads and is near Rio, making it easy to send products to other places. The largest industrial area in Rio de Janeiro is here, with companies like Texaco, Shell, Esso, and Sadia. The main industries include chemicals, petrochemicals, metals, gas, plastics, furniture, and clothing.

Transport

Duque de Caxias has many ways to get around. There are public buses and train lines to help people travel. The city has 11 train stations, including Duque de Caxias and Saracuruna. Roads connect the city to nearby places like Magé.

Education

Duque de Caxias has many schools and places to study. There are lots of schools here, including public and private ones. Most people in the city who are 10 years old or older can read and write.

The city is home to several colleges and universities. The Federal University of Rio de Janeiro has a campus in Xerém. The Faculty of Education of Baixada Fluminense, part of the State University of Rio de Janeiro, offers programs in education, mathematics, and geography.

Other schools include the Educational Foundation of Duque de Caxias, UNIGRANRIO — the largest university in the city — and the University of Sa Estácio, among others. These schools give students many choices for continuing their education.

Culture

The city has the Centro Cultural Oscar Niemeyer and a square called the Center Pacifier. There is also a Public Library named Leonel de Moura Brizola and a theater called Teatro Municipal Raul Cortez. The library has many books, and the theater has many seats.

The city also has the Historical Institute and Theater Procópio Ferreira. It was named after Alderman Thomé Siqueira Barreto. The collection includes many photos, documents, books, newspapers, and tables. Some special items are a candlestick, a picture of St. Anthony, and photos of important events.

Heritage

Our Lady of Pilar Church is on the Old Road of Pillar. It was built in 1720 and has beautiful baroque style, like buildings in Minas Gerais. The materials came from the Monastery of St. Benedict. The church was registered on May 25, 1938.

Fazenda São Bento is the oldest farm here. It started in 1591 when the Monastery of St. Benedict bought land from Christopher Monteiro. Today, only ruins are left of the chapel from 1645 and the big house from 1754 to 1757. These ruins were declared historic heritage on June 10, 1957.

Amenities

The theater at City Hall opened on February 28, 1975. It was later named Procópio Ferreira Theater to honor a famous actor. The actor and his daughter were special guests at the opening, along with Nelson Carneiro. In 1978, a play called Canudos was performed there and won an award.

The oldest public theater in Duque de Caxias is the Armando Melo Theater, which was founded in 1967.

Sports

The city has two football clubs: Duque de Caxias Futebol Clube and Esporte Clube Tigres do Brasil. Both teams played in the top level of the state championship in 2009.

Duque de Caxias has two football stadiums. The Romário de Souza Faria stadium, used by Duque de Caxias Futebol Clube, can hold many spectators. The Estádio De Los Larios stadium, used by Tigres do Brasil Esporte Clube, can also hold many spectators. The city also has an Olympic village.

Neighborhoods and districts

District 1

• Centro (downtown)
• Jardim Vinte e Cinco de Agosto
• Parque Beira Mar
• Centenário
• Engenho do Porto
• Parque Duque
• Parque Lafaiete
• Vila São Luís
• Jardim Leal
• Gramacho
• Sarapuí
• Doutor Laureano
• Bar dos Cavaleiros
• Jardim Gramacho
• Olavo Bilac
• Periquitos
• Corte Oito

District 2

• Campos Elíseos
• Pilar
• Cidade dos Meninos
• Jardim Primavera
• Figueira
• Capivari
• Saracuruna

District 3

• Imbariê
• Nova Campina
• Santa Cruz da Serra
• Cangulo
• Chacarás Rio Petropolis
• Chacara Arcampo
• Eldourado
• Taquara
• Parque Paulista
• Parque Equitativa
• Alto da Serra
• Santa Lúcia
• Jardim Anhangá
• Parada Morabi

District 4

• Xerém
• Mantiquira
• Parque Capivari
• Jardim Olimpo
• Lamarão
• Amapá
• Vila Canaã

Notable people

Duque de Caxias has been home to many well-known people.

Luis Alves de Lima e Silva was an important military and political figure in Brazil. Fernandinho Beira-Mar was a leader of a local group. Júlio César and Roberto Dinamite were both famous football goalkeepers. Bruna Marquezine is an actress, and several other footballers such as Davidson, Alex Teixeira, and Wendel also come from this city. Tiffani Marinho is a notable athlete.