The book “Rio, Capital of Brazil: Essays on Capital Status” is launched at the City Palace.

Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes participated on Wednesday (January 14th) in the launch of the book "Rio, Capital of Brazil: Essays on Capital Status," during a seminar held at the City Palace in Botafogo. The event marked the official presentation of the work, which invites the public to reflect on the historical, cultural, and symbolic importance of Rio de Janeiro in the formation of Brazil.

This publication is the result of a partnership between the Municipal Secretariat of Culture and the General Archive of the City of Rio de Janeiro (AGCRJ) and is part of the City Hall's actions aimed at valuing the history, memory and cultural identity of the city.

– The book reveals something that every Carioca (Rio de Janeiro native) feels firsthand: Rio has never been an ordinary city. It was the capital of Brazil for almost 200 years, and that's not just a historical fact. This shaped the city, its politics, its culture, and the very idea of ​​Brazil – highlighted Mayor Eduardo Paes.

Organized by professors Christian Lynch (Iesp-Uerj) and Elizeu Santiago de Sousa (AGCRJ), the book brings together texts by nationally recognized researchers. Among the authors are Antonio Edmilson Rodrigues (Uerj), Aspásia Camargo (UFRJ), Marieta de Moraes Ferreira (UFRJ), and Marly Motta (FGV). Together, they analyze the role of Rio de Janeiro as the country's capital over time, from different perspectives: political, cultural, urban, and international.

– When does a city cease to be the capital of a country? Is that just a legal status? Is it a political, cultural, international status? What cities in the world have simultaneously hosted the Olympics, the World Cup final, Eco-92, the G20, and more than 130 other events? Few cities in the world can say they have represented a country as much as Rio de Janeiro – reinforces the Secretary of Culture, Lucas Padilha.

With 590 pages, the work traces the history of Rio de Janeiro from 1808, when it became the capital of the Portuguese Empire, through the Empire of Brazil and the Republic, until the transfer of the capital to Brasília in 1960. The book also addresses the merger with the former state of Rio de Janeiro in 1975, during the period of the military dictatorship.

The authors highlight that, even after ceasing to be the official capital, Rio de Janeiro maintained a central role in national life. The city continues to be a reference in areas such as culture, public health, knowledge production, innovation, and the hosting of major international events — from the Rio-92 Conference to the 2016 Olympic Games, including the G20 in 2024 and the BRICS Summit, scheduled for 2025.

– We invited 20 leading experts from various institutions in the city to rethink the history of Rio de Janeiro's status as a capital city. There are 18 texts, or 18 chapters, that take a journey through history: from the colonial period, through the Empire, to the republican years and arriving at the contemporary era – explained Elizeu Santiago.

In the book's preface, the city's Secretary of Culture, Lucas Padilha, summarizes this historical role of the city: "For two hundred years, Rio has been the face and soul of Brazil. From politics to the arts, our most important utopias were born here."

The seminar that marked the book's launch brought together researchers, cultural managers, students, and people interested in the history of Rio de Janeiro and Brazil.