5 tourist attractions to know in Recife PE

Marco Zero Square - Landmark — Marco Zero Square – Landmark

Recife offers a series of tourist attractions for all tastes. In addition to the beautiful beaches in the region, Recife it also enchants for its historical and cultural attractions.

Recife is one of the oldest in Brazil, it was founded by the Portuguese in 1537.

Here, Portuguese, Indians and Africans became a single people.

Recife is surrounded by the mouth of the Capibaribe and Beberibe rivers, and by several canals and bridges, it came to be known as, the “Brazilian Venice”.

5 main tourist attractions in Recife

Ground Zero Square

Marco Zero square has the original name of Praça Barão do Rio Branco, however it became known as Ground Zero Square due to the fact that it is located at kilometer zero of Pernambuco's roads.

It is formed by a red mark donated by the Automobile Club.

On the side of the square is the bronze statue of the Baron of Rio Branco, 2,80m high, by the sculptor Felix Charpentier.

In the center, the compass rose by the painter Cícero Dias can be seen. During momo periods, the square serves as the headquarters of Recife's multicultural carnival.

Marco Zero square was the foundation of Recife.

In addition to the monument that marks the beginning of the history of the capital of Pernambuco, located at Praça Rio Branco, the point by the sea is surrounded by other attractions.

From Marco Zero, looking out to sea, you can see the Sculpture Park: a set of ceramic pieces produced by the artist Francisco Brennand where the Crystal Column stands out.

Inaugurated in 2000, the installation was made in honor of the 500th anniversary of the Discovery of Brazil.

There is an on-site harbor where you can take a boat crossing to the park to see the works up close.

Also at Marco Zero, two places were inaugurated in place of old warehouses: the Pernambuco Handicraft Center, which brings pieces by master craftsmen and other recognized artists from all over the state, and the Carnival Center, a space to support revelers during the festive date that for the rest of the year works as a collection of carnival memory, with restaurants and tourist services.

Francisco Brennand Ceramics Workshop

Francisco Brennand there are works spread all over Recife – the most famous is the obelisk at Marco Zero.

The artist's works can be appreciated up close in his ceramic atelier, open for visitation.

Installed in an area of 15 thousand square meters of an old colonial mill, the space displays hundreds of sculptures with fantastic themes displayed in sheds and in an immense garden with boulevards and lakes.

In 2004 the complex gained another reason to be visited: the Espaço Accademia, with drawings and paintings by Francisco himself.

Casa da Cultura

Located on the banks of the Capibaribe River, Casa da Cultura Luiz Gonzaga is one of the largest centers for the sale of handicrafts in Recife and one of the postcards of the state.

The imposing building where it is installed was built to house the old Recife Detention House, which remained for over a century as the most important penitentiary in Pernambuco.

Today, the former cells are occupied by shops, cultural associations and snack bars. The House also has a theater and amphitheater that host training activities and theater, music and dance shows promoted or supported by the State Government through Fundarpe.

Inaugurated on April 25, 1855, the former Recife Detention House is one of the largest buildings of the 6th century, located close to two expressive works of that century: the Recife Railway Station and the XNUMX de Março Bridge (better known as the Old Bridge).

The original project was designed by the engineer and urban planner José Mamede Alves Ferreira, responsible for other important works in the city, such as the Hospital Pedro II and the Ginásio Pernambucano.

The construction of Mamede follows the “panopticon” model, following the traditional security standards of prisons at the time.

After operating for 118 years as a prison, in 1973 the then governor Eraldo Gueiros Leite ordered the closure of Recife's House of Detention. In the same year, a plan for the restoration of the building was drawn up and from April 14, 1976 onwards, the building became the Casa da Cultura de Pernambuco.

This move from a penitentiary to a cultural center had been conceived and planned about ten years before, by the artist Francisco Brennand, at the time when he was the head of the Civil House of the State Government.

Invited by Brennand, the Italian-Brazilian architect Lina Bo Bardi and the architect Jorge Martins Júnior were responsible for preparing the project for the renovation and adaptation of the building.

The Casa da Cultura houses two panels by the Pernambuco painter Cícero Dias, which represent the Pernambuco Revolutions of 1817 and 1824.

In addition to Teatro Clênio Wanderley, Palco Nelson Ferreira and more than 110 art and craft stores, the House is home to movements, associations and unions such as the Unified Black Movement, Political Amnesty, Artisans Union of the Metropolitan Region of Recife and of Pernambuco.

Ricardo Brennand Institute

O Ricardo Brennand Institute it is one of the most interesting tourist spots in Recife, as it has the ability to please people of all ages.

It is the ideal place for those who appreciate art, antiques and architecture. With a beautiful outdoor landscape, trees, cafeteria and buildings in the shape of a medieval castle, it's hard not to be surprised by the structure of the place.

Ricardo Brennand's property has permanent and temporary exhibitions, where it is possible to follow works from Brazil and other parts of the world.

In one of the buildings there is an exhibition that shows a little of Dutch Brazil, with many paintings by Frans Prost and pieces in worked marble. Another cool part is the representation of Fouquet's trial, with very real puppets.

One of the coolest places in the Institute is a very complete collection of weapons, armor, rugs and paintings. The most interesting thing is that the objects in the collection are perfectly integrated into the medieval environment, in order to make the whole set very attractive.

Recife Tourism and Travel Guide.