| Conde Da Boa Vista Avenue |
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Lúcia Gaspar Initially called ‘Rua Formosa’ (Formosa St), a name given to it by people owing to the beauty of the area, the current avenue was built in three stages. Later, the second stretch between Hospício St and Gervásio Pires St was built. Only in 1852 did the construction of its third stretch begin, when the indemnification process of the lands that belonged to surgeon Manoel Pereira Teixeira began, for the opening of what was called ‘Caminho Novo’ (New Path). The conclusion of this third and final stretch, which runs to the Derby neighbourhood, was only sealed in 1899, when the necessary indemnifications were finished, and the thoroughfare could be opened. In 1870, with the death of the Count of Boa Vista, the city council changed its name from Rua Formosa to Rua Conde da Boa Vista. Conde da Boa Vista Ave, however, is 42 metres wider than the bridge because of the need for parking. The thoroughfare’s widening and improvements, at the time, were carried out up to Soledade St, on the corner of what was then Colégio Padre Félix (Father Felix School). During the widening process several constructions were demolished, among them the Anglican Church, known as the Igrejinha dos Ingleses (Little Church of the English), located where the Duarte Coelho Building is today, on whose ground floor is the former Cinema São Luís, with its beautiful panel by Lula Cardoso Ayres. In the 1840s, French engineers Louis-Léger Vauthier, designer of the Santa Isabel Theatre, and Pierre Victor Bolitreau, responsible for various urban projects in the city, lived in large houses on the Avenue. Today, few of these grand houses of Formosa St remain. There were beautiful constructions like the Soledade Palace, built in the mid-19th Century, and the home of businessman Eugênio Ramiro Costa, built in the 20th Century. Strategically located, Conde da Boa Vista Ave is one of the busiest arteries in the Pernambuco capital. It is estimated that its daily movement is more than 20 thousand vehicles and 40 thousand people. Previously a largely residential area, today it houses a large part of the city centre’s businesses, as well as banks, schools, religious temples, a shoppingmall; bars; and restaurants. According to the Guia Gay (Gay Guide), produced by the NGOOs Defensores (The Defendors), the block between Gervásio Pires St and Jiriquiti St is considered a GLS hub (Gays, Lesbians and Sympathisers). From 2007 and 2008, The Recife City Council built the Corredor Leste-Oeste (East-West Corridor), installing a bus-only lane connecting Conde da Boa Vista Ave to Caxangá Avenue.The pavements were rebuilt and new bus stops were implanted, bring a new urban conception to the área.
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