Morro Azul

Gazing up at Morro Azul, you’re immediately struck by the contrast. Luxury condominiums rise on one side, while the vibrant community of Nossa Senhora de Lourdes, often called a favela, climbs the other. Morro Azul itself, a peak nestled between Flamengo, Botafogo, and Laranjeiras, holds a history as diverse as its slopes. Morro Azul began its transformation into the community we see today around the 1930s. But its story stretches back over a century earlier. The land here has passed through many hands, from a religious order selling plots for a pittance to wealthy residents on the Botafogo side, to the expansion of condominiums that now reach the peak on the Laranjeiras side. Imagine, a condominium wall now encloses what was once a community football pitch, a symbol of the changing landscape of Morro Azul. High on Morro Azul, near the Abrigo Romão Duarte, belonging to the Santa Casa de Misericórdia, stands a fighting arena. This arena, built by Dedé Pederneiras and José Aldo, connects Morro Azul to the world of martial arts. But the story deepens when you consider the land’s 18th-century connection to José Fernandes, whose parents were João Fernandes de Oliveira, a diamond contractor, and the famed Chica da Silva. Legend has it that Chica da Silva funded freed slaves who used Morro Azul, once known as Chácara das Mangueiras, as an escape route to establish quilombos, settlements of escaped slaves, in the forests of Zona Sul. Even the name “Morro Azul” has multiple origin stories. Some say it’s linked to a palacete, once blue, that sits atop the hill. Others point to the “Lanchonete Azul” in Flamengo, a landmark from which early residents accessed the morro. Yet another theory suggests the name comes from the bluish reflection of sunlight on the exposed rock face, once a quarry but now the lush Bosque Ecológico Nossa Senhora de Lourdes. This reforested area, with over 700 trees, stands as a green testament to a partnership between the Morro Azul community and the environment. The story of Morro Azul is a tale of contrasts, of wealth and poverty, of nature and development, and of a community striving to preserve its identity amidst the ever-changing landscape of Rio de Janeiro.