Praça Tiradentes

The paradox of this square is obvious: it's named after Tiradentes, but the man on horseback in the middle is Emperor Pedro I. They are two different chapters of the same independence story.

1A square of many names

It began in the seventeenth century as Rossio Grande, after Lisbon's Rossio. Later it was Campo dos Ciganos, for the Roma tents pitched here, and Campo da Lampadosa, after a nearby church. In 1821 Prince Pedro swore allegiance to the Portuguese Constitution from the balcony of the neighbouring theatre, and the square became Praça da Constituição. In 1890, under the Republic, it was renamed after Tiradentes, executed nearby in 1792; the gallows is usually placed close to today's Avenida Passos.

2The first great monument

The equestrian statue of Pedro I was unveiled on 30 March 1862 at the initiative of his son, Pedro II. It was designed by the Brazilian João Maximiano Mafra and cast in Paris by the Frenchman Louis Rochet. The emperor holds up the 1824 Constitution; below, groups of Indigenous people and animals represent the Amazon, Paraná, São Francisco and Madeira rivers.

At the unveiling, 600 musicians conducted by Francisco Manuel da Silva played the Independence Anthem, composed by Pedro I himself.

3What to look for

• The Indigenous figures on the pedestal, with caiman, tapir and giant anteater.
• The inscription «A D. Pedro Primeiro, gratidão dos brasileiros».
• The theatres around the square, a reminder of its days as the centre of Rio's nightlife.