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Three blocks west of Praca Tiradentes, along Rua Visconde do Rio Branco, is the Praca da Republica in the Campo de Santana . Until the beginning of the seventeenth century this area was outside the city limits, which extended only as far as Rua Uruguaiana. Its sandy soils made it unsuitable for cultivation and the only building here was the chapel of St Domingo, sited in the area now covered by the asphalt of Avenida Presidente Vargas, and used by the Fraternity of St Anne to celebrate the festivals of their patron saint - hence the name, Campo de Santana (field of St Anne). By the end of the eighteenth century the city had spread to surround the Campo de Santana, and in 1811 a barracks was built to house the Second Regiment of the Line, who used the square as a parade ground. From here, Dom Pedro I proclaimed Brazil's independence from the Portuguese Crown in 1822, and after 1889 the lower half of the square became known as Praca da Republica. The first president of the new republic, Deodoro de Fonseca, lived at no. 197 Praca da Republica. At the start of the twentieth century, the square was landscaped, and today it's a pleasant place for a walk, with lots of trees and small lakes ruled by swans. In the centre lies the Parque Joao Furtado , worth visiting in the evening, when small, furry shapes can be seen scuttling about in the gloom - agoutis, happily, not rats. Directly across Avenida Presidente Vargas is the Praca Duque de Caxias and the Panteao Nacional , on top of which stands the equestrian statue of the Duque de Caxias, military patron and general in the Paraguayan War - his remains lie below in the Pantheon. Nearby, the Dom Pedro II train station - known more commonly as the Central do Brasil and made famous by Walter Salles' 1997 film Central Station - is an unmistakeable landmark, its tower rising 110m into the sky and supporting clock faces measuring 7.5 by 5.5m, all linked to a central winding mechanism. Just beyond the station, at Av. Marechal Floriano 196, the Palacio do Itamaraty is one of Rio's best examples of Neoclassical architecture. Completed in 1853 as the pied-a-terre of the great landowner Baron of Itamaraty, it was bought by the government and was home to a number of the republic's presidents. The palacio now houses the Museu Historico e Diplomatico do Itamaraty (Tues-Fri 10am-5.30pm, Sat & Sun 2-5.30pm), a repository of documents, books and maps relating to Brazil's diplomatic history, its collections primarily of interest to serious researchers (archives open for consultation Mon-Fri 1-5pm). Of perhaps wider interest, however, is the part of the building painstakingly restored to show how the upper classes lived in the nineteenth century. North of Itamaraty is Gamboa, an extremely seedy port area and home to Rio's oldest favelas. The only reason to visit Gamboa is to go to the Cemiterio dos Ingleses or English Cemetery, the oldest Protestant burial site in Brazil. In 1809 the British community was given permission to establish a cemetery and Anglican church in Rio, essential if English merchants were to be attracted to newly independent Brazil. Still in use today, the cemetery is set in a beautiful hillside location looking down to Guanabara Bay. The inscriptions on many of the stones make poignant reading, memories of the days when early death was almost expected. The cemetery (Mon-Fri 8am-4pm, Sat & Sun 8am-12.30pm) is at Rua da Gamboa 181. It's best to call the caretaker (tel 021/233-4237) before visiting to confirm that the gates will be open. The area has a reputation for being dangerous and you'd be wise to go by taxi; under no circumstances walk alone along the approach road passing through the tunnel from the nearby central train station.
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