Largo São Bento

Largo São Bento used to be home to the indian village of the tribal chief Tibiriça, João Ramalho's father-in-law, and demarcated the limits of the village. The indian village was replaced by a "largo" (a kind of plaza) where, in 1598, a chapel in honor of Nossa Senhora de Montserrat was built. In 1660, Mosteiro de São Bento (São Bento Monastery) started being built there.

The church was called Nossa Senhora da Assunção - it has this same name up to now -, but it is widely known as Igreja de São Bento (São Bento Church). In 1650, the explorer Fernão Dias donated a substantial amount of money to be used to restore and enlarge the monastery. His ashes are kept there. In 1864, the "largo" was urbanized. Because it was next to the city's largest hotels, it used to be a very busy and crowded place.

The old monastery and the church were demolished in 1910 and, in 1911, a new building started being built there, completed in 1922. Later, during the 70's, a subway station was built (São Bento), and together with it, the "largo" got new pavement, benches and gardens. Every Sunday, at 10 a.m., a mass is held an the monastery, together with a choral singing beautiful Gregorian songs.