A report on Rio de Janeiro, Madrid and Buenos Aires

A section of the Muslim Walls of Madrid. For a list of all the walls, see: Walls of Madrid.

Our Lady of Buen Aire in front of the National Migration Department

Founding of Rio de Janeiro on 1 March 1565

View of Madrid from the west, facing the Puerta de la Vega. Drawing by Anton van den Wyngaerde, 1562

Juan de Garay founding Buenos Aires in 1580. The initial settlement, founded by Pedro de Mendoza, had been abandoned since 1542.

Rio de Janeiro, then de facto capital of the Portuguese Empire, as seen from the terrace of the Convento de Santo Antônio (Convent of St. Anthony), c. 1816

Baths in the Manzanares in the place of Molino Quemado (detail), by Félix Castello (c. 1634–1637)

Aldus verthoont hem de stadt Buenos Ayrros geleegen in Rio de la Plata, painting by a Dutch sailor who anchored at the port around 1628.

Map of the city of Rio de Janeiro in 1820, then capital of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves, with the transfer of the Portuguese court to Brazil

View of Calle de Alcalá in 1750 by Antonio Joli

Emeric Essex Vidal, General view of Buenos Ayres from the Plaza de Toros, 1820. In this area now lies the Plaza San Martín.

The Second of May 1808 by Francisco de Goya

Impression of the Buenos Aires Cathedral by Carlos Pellegrini, 1829.

The Sugarloaf cable car between the 1940s and 1950s

A convoy of tanks along the streets of the city in 1968 during the military rule. At the time, Rio de Janeiro was a city-state, capital of Guanabara.

People seeking refuge in the metro during the unsuccessful Francoist bombings (1936–1937) over Madrid during the Spanish Civil War

Construction of the Obelisk of Buenos Aires on the 9 de Julio Avenue, 1936.

Satellite view of Greater Rio de Janeiro

2011 Anti-austerity protests in the Puerta del Sol

Catalinas Norte is an important business complex composed of nineteen commercial office buildings and occupied by numerous leading Argentine companies, foreign subsidiaries, and diplomatic offices. It is located in the Retiro and San Nicolás neighborhoods.

Madrid as seen by the Sentinel-2 satellite in October 2020

Satellite view of the Greater Buenos Aires area, and the Río de la Plata.

View of South Zone with Corcovado in the background

Sugarloaf Cable Car approaching the summit

Municipal police agents from the 2018 promotion

Heavy rain and thunderstorm in Plaza San Martin. Thunderstorms are usual during the summer.

Aerial view of Downtown Rio with the Rio–Niterói Bridge in the background

The Buenos Aires City Hall in the right corner of the entrance to the Avenida de Mayo

Aerial view of Fort Copacabana, with Copacabana (right) and Ipanema (left, background)

Royal Palace of Madrid built in the 18th century.

Metropolitan Police of Buenos Aires City

The Immigrants' Hotel, constructed in 1906, received and assisted the thousands of immigrants arriving to the city. The hotel is now a National Museum.

Aqueduct built in the 18th century, as was the entire historic complex of the Colônia Juliano Moreira inside Pedra Branca State Park in Taquara

Villa 31, a villa miseria in Buenos Aires

Barra da Tijuca with Pedra da Gávea in background

The Metropolitan Cathedral is the main Catholic church in the city.

Portuguese immigrant in Rio de Janeiro, considered the largest "Portuguese city" outside Portugal.

The Temple of Debod, an ancient Egyptian temple dismantled and rebuilt in the Parque del Oeste.

The Buenos Aires Stock Exchange, the main stock exchange and financial center of Argentina.

Headquarters of the National Bank of Argentina, the national bank and the largest in the country's banking sector.

The Campo del Moro gardens near the Royal Palace

Buenos Aires Bus, the city's tourist bus service. The official estimate is that the bus carries between 700 and 800 passengers per day, and has carried half a million passengers since its opening.

Treemap showing the market share of exports, by product, for the city of Rio de Janeiro in 2014 generated by DataViva

The Manzanares flowing through the Monte de El Pardo.

Monument to the Carta Magna and Four Regions of Argentina in the neighborhood of Palermo

Downtown Rio, in the financial district of the city

Mount of El Pardo and Soto de Viñuelas inside the city of Madrid

The Centro Cultural Kirchner (Kirchner Cultural Center), located at the former Central Post Office, is the largest of Latin America.

Homage to Buenos Aires, a mural located at the Carlos Gardel station of the Buenos Aires Underground. It represents a typical scene from the city and several of its icons, such as singer Carlos Gardel, the Obelisco, the port, tango dancing and the Abasto market.

The interior of El Ateneo Grand Splendid, a celebrated bookstore located in the barrio of Recoleta.

Center for Human Science of the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro

Mercamadrid facilities in South-Eastern Madrid

Tango dancers during the World tango dance tournament.

Superior institute of Education of Rio de Janeiro (ISERJ)

Building works of Caleido in August 2018

Madrid de los Austrias. It is the part of Madrid with the most buildings of the Habsburg-period.

A screening at Parque Centenario, as part of the 2011 edition of BAFICI

Set of La 1's newscast services, Telediario.

A fashion show at the Planetarium in 2013, as part of BAFWEEK.

Tim Maia, the greatest representative of soul music in the country's history, from Rio de Janeiro.

View of Bolívar Street facing the Cabildo and Diagonal Norte, on Buenos Aires' historical center. The city's characteristic convergence of diverse architectural styles can be seen, including Spanish Colonial, Beaux-Arts and modernist architecture.

Las Meninas, by Diego de Velázquez, 1656 (Prado Museum)

The Lady of Elche, an iconic item exhibited at the National Archaeological Museum

Colegio Nacional de Buenos Aires, a public high school in Buenos Aires, and it is one of the most prestigious in Argentina and Latin America.

New Year's Eve fireworks at Copacabana Beach

Facsimile of the Madrid Codex exhibited at the Museum of the Americas

University of Buenos Aires' Law School in Recoleta

The World Stage at the "Rock in Rio" music festival

Chalcography for an edition of Francisco de Quevedo's El Parnaso Español (1648)

Banda de Ipanema, one of the largest carnival blocks of the city

Portrait of Benito Pérez Galdós, by Joaquín Sorolla, 1894

Interior of the National Library of Spain

A Mitre Line Trenes Argentinos train in Retiro railway station

Map of the Greater Buenos Aires Commuter Rail Network

Festivities of San Isidro Labrador in the pradera, 2007.

200 Series rolling stock at San José de Flores station, Buenos Aires Underground.

Barra Olympic Park, built for 2016 Summer Olympics

High heels race in WorldPride Madrid 2017

People in costumes during the proclamation (pregón) of the 2013 Carnival

Rio de Janeiro–Galeão International Airport

Buquebus high-speed ferries connect Buenos Aires to Uruguay

Rio de Janeiro–Santos Dumont National Airport

The Madrid Derby at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium

Campo Argentino de Polo, home of the Argentine Open Polo Championship, the most important global event of this discipline

2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup Final at the Palacio de Deportes

La Bombonera during a night game of Copa Libertadores between Boca Juniors v. Colo Colo.

2009 Madrid Open Women's Final at the Caja Mágica

Rio de Janeiro Light Rail in Downtown Rio

The rectorate of the Complutense University of Madrid

School of Mines, Technical University of Madrid

The Santa Teresa Tramway is the oldest operating tram system in South America.

The M-607 meets the M-30 north of the municipality.

The network of high capacity roads in Spain features its most important node in Madrid.

Bike Rio rental station in Mauá Square, Downtown Rio

Satellite view of Greater Rio de Janeiro at night

AVE rolling stock at the Madrid Atocha station

Interior of the terminal 4 (T4) of the Madrid–Barajas Airport.

On 2 October 2009, the International Olympic Committee announced that Rio de Janeiro would host the 2016 Olympic Games and the 2016 Paralympic Games, beating competitors Chicago, Tokyo, and Madrid.

- Rio de Janeiro

According to Global Language Monitor, the city is the 20th leading fashion capital in the world, ranking second in Latin America after Rio de Janeiro.

- Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires architecture is characterized by its eclectic nature, with elements resembling Paris and Madrid.

- Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires, Argentina

- Rio de Janeiro

Buenos Aires, Argentina

- Madrid

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

- Madrid

5 related topics with Alpha

Köppen climate classification

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One of the most widely used climate classification systems.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Aw, bordering on Am)

Madrid, Spain (Csa, bordering on BSk)

Buenos Aires, Argentina (Cfa)

Gold coins minted by the Parisii (1st century BC)

Capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² , making it the 34th most densely populated city in the world in 2020.

The Palais de la Cité and Sainte-Chapelle, viewed from the Left Bank, from the Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry (month of June) (1410)

The Hôtel de Sens, one of many remnants of the Middle Ages in Paris

The storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789, by Jean-Pierre Houël

The Panthéon, a major landmark on the Rive Gauche, was completed in 1790.

The Eiffel Tower, under construction in November 1888, startled Parisians — and the world — with its modernity.

General Charles de Gaulle on the Champs-Élysées celebrating the liberation of Paris, 26 August 1944

Western Paris in 2016, as photographed by a SkySat satellite

Anti-terrorism demonstration on the Place de la République after the Charlie Hebdo shooting, 11 January 2015

The Hôtel de Ville, or city hall, has been at the same site since 1357.

A map of the Greater Paris Metropolis (Métropole du Grand Paris) and its governing territories

The Élysée Palace, official residence of the President of the French Republic

The Palais-Royal, residence of the Conseil d'État

Police (Gendarmerie) motorcyclists in Paris

Camille Pissarro, Boulevard Montmartre, 1897, Hermitage Museum

Paris and its suburbs, as seen from the Spot Satellite

West of Paris seen from Tour Montparnasse in 2019

City proper, urban area, and metropolitan area population from 1800 to 2010

The Eiffel Tower and the La Défense district

Employment by economic sector in the Paris area (petite couronne), with population and unemployment figures (2015)

Median income in Paris and its nearest departments in 2018 (high income in red, low income in yellow)

Tourists from around the world make the Louvre the most-visited art museum in the world.

The Passage Jouffroy, one of Paris's covered passages

The Axe historique, pictured here from Concorde to Grande Arche of La Défense

Pierre Mignard, Self-portrait, between 1670 and 1690, oil on canvas, 235 x, The Louvre

Auguste Renoir, Bal du moulin de la Galette, 1876, oil on canvas, 131 x, Musée d'Orsay

Salah Zulfikar and Sabah in Paris and Love (1972)

Le Zimmer, on the Place du Châtelet, where Géo Lefèvre first suggested the idea of a Tour de France to Henri Desgrange in 1902

Les Deux Magots café on Boulevard Saint-Germain

Magdalena Frackowiak at Paris Fashion Week (Fall 2011)

Republican Guards parading on Bastille Day

The main building of the former University of Paris is now used by classes from Sorbonne University, New Sorbonne University and other autonomous campuses.

The École des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS), France's most prestigious university in the social sciences, is headquartered in the 6th arrondissement.

The French Open, played on red clay, is one of four Grand Slams in professional tennis.

The Gare du Nord railway station is the busiest in Europe.

The Paris Métro is the busiest subway network in the European Union.

In 2020 Paris–Charles de Gaulle Airport was the busiest airport in Europe and the eighth-busiest airport in the world.

A view of the Seine, the Île de la Cité and a Bateau Mouche

The lawns of the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont on a sunny day

The Passerelle de l'Avre, crossing the Seine and establishing a link between the Bois de Boulogne and Saint-Cloud in Hauts-de-Seine, is the City of Paris's westernmost point.

The Paris Catacombs hold the remains of approximately 6 million people.

The Hôtel-Dieu de Paris, the oldest hospital in the city

Agence France-Presse Headquarters in Paris

Column dedicated to Paris near the Baths of Diocletian in Rome

Sculpture dedicated to Rome in the square Paul Painlevé in Paris

Lutetia Parisiorum vulgo Paris, Plan de Paris en 1657, Jan Janssonius

Paris is the fourth largest municipality in the European Union, following Berlin, Madrid and Rome.

The most prestigious names of French and foreign sculptors, who made their reputation in Paris in the modern era, are Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi (Statue of Liberty – Liberty Enlightening the World), Auguste Rodin, Camille Claudel, Antoine Bourdelle, Paul Landowski (statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro) and Aristide Maillol.

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires, 1999

Lisbon

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Capital and the largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2.

Phoenician archaeological dig in a cloister of the Lisbon Cathedral.

Part of the Cerca Velha (Old Wall), originally built by the Romans.

The 1384 Siege of Lisbon in Froissart's Chronicles.

The oldest known panorama of Lisbon (1500–1510) from the Crónica de Dom Afonso Henriques by Duarte Galvão

King Manuel I ordered Jerónimos Monastery to be built in Belém, to serve Portuguese discoverers.

Ribeira Palace and the Terreiro do Paço depicted in 1662 by Dirk Stoop.

The Proclamation of the Portuguese Republic in 1910.

The Palace of Ajuda was built as a residence for the King of Portugal following the 1755 Lisbon Earthquake.

Queen Maria II National Theatre was built in 1842.

The Treaty of Lisbon, which forms the constitutional basis of the European Union, was signed at the Jerónimos Monastery in 2007.

Map of the 24 freguesias (administrative divisions of the city) of Lisbon grouped by zone:

View of the Lisbon metropolitan area, with the Portuguese Riviera to the west of Lisbon and the Setúbal Peninsula south of the Tagus River.

Alfama, with the churches of S. Vicente de Fora, S. Engrácia, and S. Estêvão, and the Tagus river behind.

View from the São Jorge Castle, including the Praça do Comércio on the waterfront

Duke of Cadaval Square, bordering Bairro Alto and the Baixa Pombalina.

Monument to Luís de Camões, considered the greatest poet of the Portuguese language, in Chiado.

The Parque das Nações district was initially built for the Lisbon World Expo.

Lisbon City Hall, the seat of Lisbon's municipal government.

Current composition of Lisbon city council (2021-2025): PSD / CDS / A / MPT / PPM (7) PS / L (7) CDU (2) BE (1)

The National Coach Museum has the largest collection of royal carriages in the world and is one of Lisbon's most visited institutions

The National Museum of Ancient Art has one of the largest art collections in the world

The Belém Tower, one of the most famous and visited landmarks in Lisbon and throughout Portugal.

Rossio Square, with Queen Maria II National Theatre in the background

Avenida da Liberdade is one of the most expensive shopping streets in Europe and famous as a popular destination for luxury goods shopping.

Lisbon is the home of Web Summit, the largest tech event in the world.

The Port of Lisbon is one of the busiest ports in Europe.

The Lisbon Metro is Portugal's oldest and largest subway system.

A Lisbon tram by Lisbon Cathedral and Santo António Church.

Gare do Oriente train station, designed by Santiago Calatrava.

The 25 de Abril Bridge crosses the Tagus River from Alcântara to Almada.

The rectory and main campus of the New University of Lisbon.

Instituto Superior Técnico, which belongs to the University of Lisbon is based on the Alameda D. Afonso Henriques.

About 3 million people live in the Lisbon metropolitan area, making it the third largest metropolitan area in the Iberian Peninsula, after Madrid and Barcelona.

With open arms, overlooking the whole city, it resembles the Corcovado monument in Rio de Janeiro, and was built after World War II, as a memorial of thanksgiving for Portugal's being spared the horrors and destruction of the war.

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires, Argentina (1992)

Warsaw

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Capital and largest city of Poland.

A paper engraving of 16th-century Warsaw by Hogenberg showing St. John's Archcathedral to the right. The church was founded in 1390, and is one of the city's ancient and most important landmarks.

Warsaw New Town in 1778. Painted by Bernardo Bellotto

Water Filters, designed by William Lindley and finished in 1886

Sea of rubble – over 85% of the buildings in Warsaw were destroyed by the end of World War II, including the Old Town and Royal Castle.

The Warsaw Uprising took place in 1944. The Polish Home Army attempted to liberate Warsaw from the Germans before the arrival of the Red Army.

A tourist standing beside the iconic Palace of Culture and Science, 1965

View of Grzybowski Square in the central district of Warsaw. The city is located on the mostly flat Masovian Plain, but the city centre is at a higher elevation than the suburbs.

Hotel Bristol is a unique example of Warsaw's architectural heritage, combining Art Nouveau and Neo-Renaissance designs.

Main Market Square in Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

New World Street, one of the main shopping promenades in Warsaw

Łazienki Palace, also referred to as the Palace on the Isle

The Lutheran Holy Trinity Church is an important landmark

Neoclassical Commission Palace, the house of the city's government

Hala Koszyki, a former market hall from the early 20th century

The Warsaw Stock Exchange is the largest in Central Europe.

Praga Koneser Center within the former Warsaw Vodka Factory

Main TVP headquarters at Woronicza street

The main gate of the University of Warsaw

The edifice of the Grand Theatre in Warsaw. It is one of the largest theatres in Europe, featuring one of the biggest stages in the world.

Warsaw Philharmonic is a venue for the International Chopin Piano Competition

Museum of the History of Polish Jews opened in 2013

The 17th-century Ostrogski Castle (left) houses the Chopin Museum.

Wuzetka chocolate cake originated in Warsaw and is an icon of the city

Interior of the Wedel Chocolate Lounge on Szpitalna Street

Annual procession of the Three Wise Men (Epiphany) at Warsaw's Castle Square

The 1659 coat of arms of Old Warsaw on the cover of one of Warsaw's accounting books

1855 bronze sculpture of The Warsaw Mermaid in the Old Town Market Place

The Interior of the National Stadium before the UEFA Euro 2012 semi-final match between Germany and Italy on 28 June 2012

Stadion Wojska Polskiego, the home ground of Legia Warsaw football club

Carmelite Church has an original 18th-century façade

Belweder Palace, official seat of the President

Castle Square with the Royal Castle and Sigismund's Column

Krasiński Palace, a branch of the National Library

Canon Square (Kanonia) with the narrowest townhouse in Europe

St. Kazimierz Church at New Town Market Square

Three Crosses Square marks the entry into Old Town

Barbican, a remaining relic of historic fortifications.

Poland's bicameral parliament, the Sejm and the Senate

The Presidential Palace, seat of the Polish president

The seat of the administration of the Masovian Voivodeship

Mostowski Palace, the seat of Warsaw's police headquarters

Metro Line 2, Nowy Świat-Uniwersytet station

Pendolino high-speed trains at Warszawa Centralna

Much like most capital cities in Europe, Warsaw boasts a foreign-born population that is significantly larger than in other cities, although not coming close to the figures representing the likes of Madrid or Rome.

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (1997)

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires, Argentina (1992)

Union of Ibero-American Capital Cities

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International, non-governmental organization of 29 major Ibero-American cities that fosters ties and friendly relations between its members.

2012 summit of the Union of Ibero-American Capital Cities in Lisbon, Portugal.

2018 summit of the Union of Ibero-American Capital Cities in San José, Costa Rica.

2021 summit of the Union of Ibero-American Capital Cities in Madrid, Spain.

Founded in October 1982, the union is headquartered in Madrid.

Buenos Aires (capital of Argentina)

Rio de Janeiro (capital of the Brazilian State of Rio de Janeiro - former capital of Brazil)