The Monumental Axis (Portuguese: Eixo Monumental) is the central and main avenue in Brasília's city design. The avenue begins on the National Congress of Brazil building and is considered part of the DF-002 road. Its first section is known as "Ministries Esplanade" ("Esplanada dos Ministérios"), as it is surrounded by ministries buildings. Many important government buildings, monuments and memorials are located on the Monumental Axis.

Eixo Monumental
Monumental Axis
Fotos_produzidas_pelo_Senado_(36041796984)_(edited).jpg
The Monumental Axis in Brasília seen from sky
Route information
Length16 km (9.9 mi)
Major junctions
FromRodoferroviária de Brasília
ToThree Powers Plaza
Location
CountryBrazil
Federal districtDistrito Federal
Highway system

It is 16 kilometers long, beginning at the Rodoferroviária de Brasília, and ending at the Praça dos Três Poderes. It was created by Lúcio Costa during the construction of Brasília's Plano Piloto, connecting with the Highway Axis (Portuguese: Eixo Rodoviário) at the Pilot Plan Bus Station.[1][2][3]

A common urban legend persists that the Monumental Axis is the widest road in the world, where "[100 to 160] cars can drive side by side". This is untrue, as the road consists of two avenues with six lanes on either side; a total of twelve lanes. However, the street has been featured in the Guinness Book of Records as having the widest median strip of a highway in the world. On April 21, 2008, a year before they formally broke up, the Mexican pop group RBD performed a free concert to a crowd of 500,000 on the Monumental Axis[4] during Empezar Desde Cero Tour 2008. The show was to celebrate the 48th Anniversary of the founding of Brasília. It was recorded and released on DVD with the title Live in Brasilia. The crowd in attendance was the largest for which the group had performed.

Map
Map

Major sites on the Monumental Axis edit

Photo Site
  Cathedral of Brasília
Catedral Metropolitana Nossa Senhora Aparecida
  Cultural Complex of the Republic
Complexo Cultural da República
(National Museum and National Library)
  Ministries Esplanade
Esplanada dos Ministérios
  Itamaraty Palace
Ministério das Relações Exteriores
(Ministry of External Relations)
  National Congress
Congresso Nacional
  Supreme Federal Court
Supremo Tribunal Federal or STF
  Pantheon of the Fatherland and Freedom
Panteão da Pátria e da Liberdade
  JK Memorial
Memorial JK
  Television Tower
Torre de TV de Brasília
  Three Powers Plaza
Praça dos Três Poderes
  Planalto Palace
Palácio do Planalto
(Presidential office)
  Justice Palace
Palácio da Justiça
(Ministry of Justice)

Proposals for the area edit

Cultural Complex of the Republic edit

The complex, which currently consists of two buildings, the National Museum and the National Library, has plans to build a symphonic concert hall, an opera house, an auditorium for chamber music and possibly two other cultural buildings. However, few initiatives to complete the Complex have taken place to date.[5]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Tavares, Jamila (2011-12-12). "Monumental, Eixo une traço de Lucio Costa às curvas de Niemeyer". Distrito Federal (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2024-02-01.
  2. ^ Crespo, Raphael (2023-03-03). "Eixo Monumental: conheça a longa e mais influente avenida do Distrito Federal". MeuLugar (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2024-02-01.
  3. ^ Rodrigues, Gizella (2019-05-16). "Dois eixos e uma cidade única". Agência Brasília (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2024-02-01.
  4. ^ "Show RBD no Brasil". tudoemfoco.com.br. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  5. ^ "Brasília – Conjunto Cultural da República | ipatrimônio" (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-11-18.

External links edit

15°47′13″S 47°54′13″W / 15.78694°S 47.90361°W / -15.78694; -47.90361 (Monumental Axis)