Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas - Brasil

View of the lagoon from Cristo Redentor Ground view

Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, mostly known as "Lagoa", is a lagoon and district in the Lagoa, Zona Sul (South Zone) of Rio de Janeiro. The lagoon is connected to the Atlantic Ocean, allowing sea water to enter, by a canal which is bordered by the park locally known as Jardim de Alá.

Contents

The lagoon has two islands

History

Even though it receives its waters from diverse river tributaries that descend from the surrounding hillsides, among those which stand out is the river Rio dos Macacos (today channelized), which introduces salt water. The aquatic mass of the lagoon has its origin in the damming of an opening to the sea which was caused by successive build-ups of land, and which then had its contact with the Atlantic Ocean partially interrupted, except by a canal (Canal do Jardim Alá).

Inicially inhabited by the Tamoios Indians who dominated the lagoon, such as Piraguá ("Still Water") or Sacopenapan ("Path of the Herons"). The arrival of the Portuguese colonizer, Dr. António Salema (1575-1578), who was at the time also the Governor and Captain General of the Captaincy of Rio de Janeiro, intended to install a sugar mill on the banks of the lagoon. To free himself of the undesirable presence of the native Indians he resorted to the strategy of spreading clothes that were worn by those who were sick with smallpox along the banks of the lagoon intending to kill the Indians. Such was the sugar cane plantation and the building of the Engenho d'El-Rey (The King's Mill), where today's Centro de Recepção aos Visitantes do Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro (the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden Visitors' Reception Center) operates.

Beforehand, these lands were acquired by Dr. Salema from the town councilor, Amorim Soares, causing the lagoon to be called "Lagoa de Amorim Soares" (Amorim Soares Lagoon). With his expulsion from the city in 1609 the land was sold to his son-in-law, Sebastião Fagundes Varela, with the consequent name change to "Lagoa do Fagundes" (Fagundes' Lagoon). That landowner, by way of acquisition and invasion, increased the size of his landholdings in the region, in such as way that around 1620 he was already owner of all of the land that extends from today's neighborhoods of Humaitá to Leblon.

In 1702 his great grand-daughter, Petronilha Fagundes, then 35 years old, married the young Portuguese Cavalry official, Rodrigo de Freitas de Carvalho, who was then only 18 years old, which lends his name to the lagoon. Widower, Rodrigo de Freitas de Carvalho returned to Portugal in 1717 where he died in 1748.

The region stayed in the hands of the tenants without great fanfare until the beginning of the 19th century when, with the arrival of the Portuguese Royal Family in 1808 (Transfer of the Portuguese Court to Brazil), the Prince Regent disappropriated the Engenho da Lagoa (Lagoon Mill) to construct a powder factory and to install the Real Horto Botânico (Royal Botanical Garden), today's Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro ( Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden).

During the 19th century many diverse solutions were thought of for the problem of stagnated water until, in 1922, the Repartição de Saneamento das Zonas Rurais (Bureau of Rural Sanitation) presented a project citing to "clean up and beautify the Capital for the Independence Centennial festivities." That project consisted of the opening of a canal by way of dredging, deepening the land bar, reconnecting the lagoon to the sea. With its execution, the soil removed from the canal formed the island of Caiçara, today's seat of the club of the same name.

In a short time embankments were suggested along its edges which gradually reduced its surface area, giving rise to the Jockey Club Brasileiro, the Jardim de Alá Jardim de Alá, and the sport seat of the Clube Naval on the island of Piraquê. The dredged channel is now called the Jardim de Alá Channel.

The lagoon today represents one of the principal tourist attractions of the capital of Rio de Janeiro.

It is also known as "The Heart of Rio de Janeiro." The Lagoa neighborhood receives its name due to the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas. It's an upper middle-class neighborhood and it has one of the largest human development indexes in the country.

Part of the lagoon has landfill. That occurred in the middle of the 20th century (around the decades of the 40s, 50s, and 60s), and many hills, such as Catumbi, Praia do Pinto, among others, were occupying the areas around the lagoon. For many, many years they housed more than fifty thousand inhabitants. It's just that the shacks erected on the hillsides were at risk of falling down. So, after more than twenty years on the hillsides, the mayor expelled all of the inhabitants and "tore down" the hills, burying a large part of the city. The inhabitants left for the suburbs and started to live in housing. In the place of the hillsides apartment buildings and parks were built.

With 2.4 million square meters (0.93 square miles) of surface area, aquatic sports such as rowing or simply biking happen around its reflecting water. Around it you will find a rowing stadium (Estádio de Remo da Lagoa), a paved biking path of 7.5 kilometers (more than 4.5 miles), diverse leisure equipment and food kiosks that offer regional and international gastronomy items. You will also find some of the most important sports clubs in the city:

The lagoon is surrounded by the districts of Ipanema, Leblon, Gávea, Jardim Botânico, Copacabana, Botafogo, and Humaitá. It attracts quite a number of visitors during the Christmas holidays due to its famous and gigantic Christmas Tree, which is built over a floating platform that moves around the lagoon. The Eva Klabin Foundation is located on the banks of the lagoon. The lagoon will host canoe sprint and rowing events for the 2016 Summer Olympics, and rowing events for the 2016 Summer Paralympics.

Pollution of the Lagoa

The lagoon has several environmental problems, including water as well as land pollution. There is currently a project sponsored by a private company to depollute the lagoon, however this will not be quick or simple.

Even though a fishing colony survives along its banks, the lagoon is victim of a chronic problem of fish kills which are caused by the proliferation of algae which consumes the oxygen in the water. Recently an initiative by a biologist has had some successful effect on the reintroduction of native mangrove species, native vegetation from around its area.