This is considered the historical heart of the city. 

The iconic Praça XV de Novembro, known as Praça XV, is a large open area surrounded by buildings and monuments erected throughout the colonial era.

It contains the stately Imperial Palace and the Municipal Theatre, and the stone fountain Chafariz da Pirámide or do Mestre Valentim, formerly a drinking water fountain that dates from 1789 and supplied freshwater to the sailors who moored their boats in the nearby docks. It is the work of Mestre Valentim, one of the most important baroque artists of the city.

Praça XV de Novembro has been the focus of great historical events in the city of Rio de Janeiro, including the abolition of slavery, the coronation of two Brazilian emperors (Pedro I and Pedro II), and deposition of the latter in 1889.

This is considered the historical heart of the city. 

The iconic Praça XV de Novembro, known as Praça XV, is a large open area surrounded by buildings and monuments erected throughout the colonial era.

It contains the stately Imperial Palace and the Municipal Theatre, and the stone fountain Chafariz da Pirámide or do Mestre Valentim, formerly a drinking water fountain that dates from 1789 and supplied freshwater to the sailors who moored their boats in the nearby docks. It is the work of Mestre Valentim, one of the most important baroque artists of the city.

Praça XV de Novembro has been the focus of great historical events in the city of Rio de Janeiro, including the abolition of slavery, the coronation of two Brazilian emperors (Pedro I and Pedro II), and deposition of the latter in 1889.

Nearby there are two churches right next to each other: the Church of Nossa Senhora do Monte Carmo, a beautiful 18th-century church with a rich and opulent interior, filled with gilded carvings, many of them the work of Mestre Valentim. And very nearby stands the church known as the old cathedral, which has a modest exterior but a beautiful Rococo-style nave inside.

In the vicinity is the pretty Tiradentes Palace, dating from 1920, which is the seat of the Legislative Assembly of the State of Rio de Janeiro. It was built on the site where the hero of independence, Tiradentes, the first Brazilian to rebel against the Portuguese, was imprisoned in 1792.

Opposite the Imperial Palace is the Arco do Teles, which welcomes you to a series of small cobblestone streets and colonial houses where you can eat and shop. Interestingly, a young Carmen Miranda lived in one of the houses in Travessia do Comercio, a pretty pedestrian street dotted with bars and restaurants.

One of the most popular activities in Praça XV is the famous antique market, which attracts many buyers or those who are simply curious. So if you visit this area of the city on a Saturday, have a wander through the stalls where vendors display and sell everything from old vinyl records and vintage clothing, to accessories and furniture.