Brasilia History Facts and Timeline

(Brasilia, Federal District, Brazil)



Brasilia's history only dates back to the 1950s, when the then-president of Brazil, Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira, ordered the construction of the city.

This was done to fulfill an article of Brazil's earliest republican constitution (from 1891), which stated that the capital should be relocated to a more central location and not, as it was at the time, remain as Rio de Janeiro.

The Plan for the New Capital City

The plan was originally proposed in 1827 by José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva, one of Emperor Dom Pedro I's most trusted advisors. He gave his plan for a new city, named Brasilia, to the General Assembly of Brazil, with the idea being to move the capital towards the centre of the country and away from the densely populated south-eastern region of Brazil. However, the emperor disbanded the Assembly, meaning that the bill was not enacted at that time.


Reasons for Change

Rio de Janeiro had been the capital of Brazil for almost two entire centuries, between the years of 1763 and 1960. During this period, the country's main resources were usually centred in the south-east, around Rio de Janeiro and other major cities such as Sao Paulo. However, the central geographical location of Brasilia led many to believe that it would be a more regionally neutral capital city.

History of the Birth of Brasilia

In 1957, acclaimed Brazilian urban architect, Lucio Costa, won a competition to become Brasilia's principal planner, beating over 5,000 entrants. His close friend, renowned Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, was named the chief architect on the majority of non-public buildings, while the landscape designer was one Roberto Burle Marx.

It took less than three and a half years to build Brazil's new capital city, with initial work beginning in 1956 and the date of the official inauguration being the 21st April 1960. In 1987, the city was granted its prestigious World Heritage status by Unesco.

At the time, the Distrito Federal's governor was selected by the Federal Government up until the 1980s. In addition, the Federal Senate issued the Brazilian laws. However, after the Constitution of 1988, the city was granted the right to appoint its very own governor democratically by means of local elections, and a District Assembly was chosen to provide much-needed legislative power.

Saint Don Bosco

When reading about the history of Brasilia, it is common to come across a story that tells of St. Don Bosco (from Italy) and his vivid dream. Legend states that in 1883, he dreamt about a futuristic city that was located in roughly the same region that Brasilia was built nearly 75 years later. In the city today, there are numerous references to Bosco, who was the founder of the Roman Catholic 'Salesian Society'. In fact, a single church in Brasilia is named after this saint.