Leão Júnior Mansion

The Mansion Leão Júnior is considered a historical and architectural heritage of Brazil. It was built in the late nineteenth century (1866-1907), in neoclassical style by Cândido de Abreu, to house the family of Agostinho Ermelino de Leão Junior, an important Herbalist of the erva-mate (Ilex paraguariensis) cycle in Parana. The house, one of the most luxurious built in Curitiba, had doors, windows, panels and carvings in Pau-Brasil (Caesalpinia echinata Lam), glass and porcelain imported from France and Belgium.

The Leão Júnior Mansion is located at João Gualberto Avenue - Juvevê district in Curitiba.

The Mignon Bar and The Triângulo Bar

The Mignon Bar occupies the current address since 1946 and it is a traditional meeting point of Curitiba. Among its culinary options, we can find is the "pork with green sandwich (Pernil com verde)", which recipe comes from the founding family, brought directly from Calabria and never revealed.

The Tiângulo Bar was opened in 1934. Its'popular name is Hot Dog, due to its peculiar light sign. The triangle of neon, with the dog in the center, continues to illuminate the façade of the bohemian curitibanas nights.

From the tables of both bars at the Flower street (Calçadão), you can have a good cold beer with friends, have a snack and watch the crowd up and down the street.

Luiz Xavier - The shortest avenue of the world

Luiz Antônio Xavier was born in Curitiba on December 21, 1856. He was the first elected mayor of Curitiba and he was extremely popular and accessible.

Under his administration, Luiz Xavier has endowed Curitiba with paving, gardening and made an important contribution to the development of water services and sanitation. He ordered the alignment of XV de Novembro street and Osorio Square, transforming a moor into an usable and integrated space.

At this spot, the road became wider, thus unintentionally; he had created the shortest avenue in the world. Still in life, Luiz Xavier saw this avenue been named in his honor, but by an act of pure flattery, the name Luiz Xavier was evicted to please the then president Getúlio Vargas, and thus, for almost twenty years, the street was named João Pessoa.

Only after the death of Vargas (in 1954), the road reverts to its original and fair name: Luiz Xavier, but unfortunately, he didn’t witnessed this fact, since he died in 1933.

Source: Book "Ruas e histórias de Curitiba" by Valério Hoerner Júnior. “Artes e Textos” publisher. Curitiba, 2002.

General Iberê de Mattos - Bacacheri Park

The Bacacheri Park in Curitiba, was opened on November 05, 1988 and it occupies an area of 152,033 square meters and has several options for leisure and recreation: soccer and sand volleyball, pic-nics, dog walking, barbecue grills, playground, artificial lake and woodland with many native plant species.

It is located (as the name suggests) at Bacacheri District and it is the main green area of the surrounding districts.

Zacarias Square

The place once known as "Largo da Ponte", was due to a wood bridge of planks over the then great Ivo river. Over time, the river began to exhale stench, determining its channeling.

The square was paved, gardens were built and it received in 1870 a beautiful fountain, which served to collect water by slaves of wealthy families. The fountain was a landmark in the city, representing an improvement of life quality for the population of Curitiba. The site came to be called "Largo da Fonte" (Fountain Square), until it received its current name, Zacharias Square, after the first president of the province of Curitiba, Zacarias de Goes e Vasconcellos.

Source: Book "Ruas e histórias de Curitiba" of Valério Hoerner Júnior. "Artes e Textos" publisher. Curitiba, 2002.

Books sale!

Besides the handicrafts of the Largo da Ordem Fair, we will also find the shops that sell used books at low prices and also the famous pads that are extended on the floor and where well kept books as exposed and sold for very attractive prices.

The old beetle

Returning home from work on a rainy day, near the end of Presidente Kennedy Avenue in the Rebouças district, I stopped at a traffic light and saw this scene that has a touch of nostalgia. An old car stopped in front of an apparently abandoned factory of metal artifacts. I have captured the image and I tried to research at the internet something about this company but I found nothing.

By the way, it is very common to find in Curitiba old beetles. There are still a legion of fans of this strange little car.