Parque Natural Municipal da Cidade

It is an area of gardens and forest, crossed by the Rainha River, which is dammed at one point to form a lake. Its biome is characteristic of the Atlantic Forest. Although part of the park has been reforested, there are still native sections of Atlantic Forest. Initially a private property, it housed the summer residence of the Marquis of São Vicente, José Antônio Pimenta Bueno, built in 1809. The house was located in a higher area, at the back of the park, where the Historical Museum of the City of Rio de Janeiro currently operates. In 1939, the Guinle family transferred the property to the Federal District government, which then determined its conversion into a public park. In 1948, during the administration of Mayor Ângelo Mendes de Moraes, the museum was moved to the City Park. The museum has artworks that total around 24,000 pieces. The collection includes works by artists such as Visconti, Thomas Ender, Antonio Parreiras, Armando Vianna, Augusto Malta, and Marc Ferrez, as well as the collections of mayors Pereira Passos, Pedro Ernesto, Carlos Sampaio, and Cesar Maia. Part of the territory is occupied by dense forest, while the rest consists of a large open-air landscaped park, meandering along a dammed stream – which led to the formation of a lake and a small island. It features steep terrain and rugged slopes, upon which a considerable vegetation cover thickens.