Praça Venâncio Neiva and the Tea Pavilion

About this place

Praça Venâncio Neiva is a public square in central João Pessoa, capital of Paraíba, beside the Palácio da Redenção, built in 1917 and opened at five in the afternoon on 21 July that year. It is one of the city's finest squares and is listed by the state heritage institute. The square was first laid out for roller skating, and crowds spent Sunday and holiday afternoons there on skates. Later the rink was demolished and a central pavilion in Chinese style was built to serve five o'clock tea in the British manner; it became known as the «Pavilhão do Chá», a name that stuck to the whole square despite its official one. It also has a bandstand opened on inauguration day, mixing Greek and Renaissance styles, looking out towards the distant Sanhauá River, with an underground tunnel passage from the street into the square. The square was a meeting place for intellectuals and young couples, and its flower beds date from its opening with some changes. It suits a short stop on a walk through the old centre.