Vila Mariana (district of São Paulo)
| Vila Mariana | |
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| Country | Brazil |
| State | São Paulo |
| City | São Paulo |
| Government | |
| • Type | Subprefecture |
| • Subprefect | Maurício de Oliveira Pinterich |
| Area | |
| • Total | 8.6 km2 (3.3 sq mi) |
| Population (2004) | |
| • Total | 120.064 |
| • Density | 13.960/km2 (36.16/sq mi) |
| HDI | 0.950 –high |
| Website | Subprefecture of Vila Mariana |
Vila Mariana (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈvila maɾiˈɐna]) is a borough of the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Placed in the south of Sé, east of Pinheiros and west of Ipiranga, it's a dynamic area of the city. It comprises the districts of Vila Mariana, Moema and Saúde. Like Pinheiros, it's a wealthy area and it comprises some of the most famous symbols of São Paulo, like the Ibirapuera Park, the Obelisk and Mausoleum of the heroes from the Constitutional Revolution in 1932 and the "Monumento às Bandeiras".
This bourough also has in its limits the headquarters of the Federal University of São Paulo and its medicine school.
Until the early 20th century, it used to be a stop for chariots and horse riders on the way to Jabaquara from the central area of São Paulo. The whole trip would take an entire day, but now it is commutable by car within less than 30min.
This borough is also the place where Athina Onassis lived, when she married the Brazilian horse rider Álvaro Alfonso de Miranda Neto (the "Doda").
