If gazed from a certain distance, the tiles which decorate Escadaria 24 de Maio form a colourful mosaic within a set of old buildings at Centro Histórico. But when you get closer to the stairs that connect both Duque de Caxias and Desembargador André da Rocha streets, you get surprised: neighbors’ quotes and fragments of famous writers’ poetry, like Carlos Drummond de Andrade, were engraved on the pieces. Messages guide you from one place to another, transmuting the reader through thoughts and verses until Cidade Baixa, its end. Built in 1924, the stairway was totally restored. After its revitalization, in 2007, it got new handrails and light.

Photo: Daniele Farias