Sao Paulo: The World Cup's Opening Act

PHOTO: Center city of Sao Paulo with Edificio Copan in the foreground.(Courtesy of Embratur)

Editor's Note: This is the fourth in a series featuring the 12 Brazilian cities that will host 2014 FIFA World Cup events.

Of all of the 12 Brazil cities scheduled to host 2014 FIFA World Cup matches, Sao Paulo is probably the most familiar name to North Americans, ranking just behind Rio de Janiero. But what many may not realize is that Sao Paulo is not only Brazil’s largest city, but the largest in South America and the seventh largest in the world based on population.

Sao Paulo is an international metropolis of the first order, with a large downtown district, many trendy urban districts and neighborhoods, numerous historic buildings and several large parks. The city hosts events ranging from the world's largest gay pride parade to the Brazilian Grand Prix of Formula 1.

Sao Paulo last hosted the World Cup in 1950, the first year the event was held after 1938, when it was suspended as World War II erupted. This year’s World Cup begins in Sao Paulo on June 12 with the Brazilian team matched against Croatia.

The other preliminary matches will be held on June 19 (Uruguay versus England), June 23 (Netherlands versus Chile) and June 26 (Korea versus Belgium). Sao Paulo will host the secondary round matches on July 1 and 9.

Matches will be held in Arena Corinthians, which is currently under construction. When completed, the stadium will be Brazil’s fifth-largest, seating 48,234. A reported 19,800 temporary seats will be added to the stadium to accommodate the full houses expected for the World Cup matches.

History lesson: Sao Paulo’s recorded history extends to the 16^th century, with the establishment of a Jesuit village by Portuguese priests. The city remained largely isolated for the next two centuries, even as it developed as the center of Portugal’s interior colonial development. Gold finds gradually increased the town’s wealth and prominence.

Brazil gained independence from Portugal in 1823 under the empire of Dom Pedro I, who named Sao Paulo an imperial city as expanded coffee production drove its growth. The 1888 abolition of slavery ultimately resulted in an influx of Italian and Portuguese immigrants, as the newcomers replaced African slave labor. Brazil became a republic in November of 1889; many Japanese immigrants arrived from 1908 to 1941, with Chinese and Koreans following in the 1960s.

Contemporary Sao Paulo is a truly international city with 15,000 restaurants and an estimated 52 different types of cuisine, including authentic pizzerias created by Italian immigrants. Visitors can observe the influences of the city’s wealth of ethnic and cultural groups in Sao Paulo’s architecture, museums and gastronomy.

Must see: Sao Paulo is a sprawling city with distinctive neighborhoods reminiscent of New York City, including “Little Italy” and “China Town.” Sao Paulo’s Liberdade neighborhood is home to many of the city’s 1.5 million people of Japanese descent.

The Municipal Theatre of Sao Paulo, completed in 1911, hosted the seminal Week of Modern Art in 1922, considered today the event which launched Brazil’s Modernist movement.  Brazilian artists, architects and writers subsequently abandoned strict European-style realism in painting, drama, poetry, and music, creating new forms of expression. The building currently houses the Sao Paulo Municipal Symphonic Orchestra and Sao Paulo’s city ballet.

The Museu Paulista of the University of Sao Paulo, known locally as the Museu do Ipiranga, is a history museum near the site where Dom Pedro I proclaimed Brazil’s independence on the banks of Ipiranga brook. The museum features furniture, documents and historic artwork from the Brazil’s empire era. The museum’s most famous piece is the 1888 painting “Independencia ou Morte” (Independence or Death) by Pedro Americo.

The Sao Paulo Metropolitan Cathedral, completed in 1953, is described as the fourth largest neo-gothic cathedral in the world. The Edificio Copan (Copan Building) is a 38-story modernist residential building designed by Oscar Niemeyer. The building is said to have the largest floor area of any residential building in the world, with 5,000 residents and a ground floor that houses 70 businesses and establishments, including a church, a travel agency, a bookstore, and several restaurants.

Getting in, getting around: Sao Paulo is served by multiple international airlines, including TAM, which offers daily flights to the city from Miami and New York. TAM has doubled its occupancy from the cities in advance of the World Cup. Sao Paulo is also Brazil’s main gateway to domestic destinations within Brazil. Heavy traffic is common on the city's main avenues and traffic jams are relatively common on its highways.

The Luz railway station features an underground station with east and westbound suburban trains that link Sao Paulo to the greater Sao Paulo region to the East and the Campinas metropolitan region in the western part of the State. The station also houses the interactive Museu da Língua Portuguesa (Portuguese Language Museum), and is near cultural institutions including the Pinacoteca do Estado, The Museu de Arte Sacra and the Jardim da Luz. The city also has a subway (called the “metro”) and an above-ground fast-lane bus system.

Insider Tip: Football fans eager to see a major event at Arena Corinthians can opt for an official Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A match between Corinthians and Flamengo, which will precede the start of the World Cup.

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