Largo do Curvelo

Largo do Curvelo formed at the junction of Rua Joaquim Murtinho, Rua Almirante Alexandrino, and Rua Dias de Barros. Its name came from the landowner Joaquim Meireles, Baron of Curvelo. In eighteen sixty-nine, the municipality laid Rua Curvelo through his land. It was later renamed Rua Dias de Barros, while the widening at its end retained the former name.

Here, the tram from downtown finishes its climb along Joaquim Murtinho and emerges onto a street laid out along the hillside. In the other direction, the car has to descend toward the sharp turn by the square. It was this slope that determined the events of August twenty-seventh, two thousand eleven.

Nelson Correia da Silva made his living driving yellow cars through Santa Teresa. That day, he was driving tram number ten toward downtown. On the descent, the car began to pick up speed. Experts later determined that air had escaped from the brake-system pipeline: without pressure, the brakes stopped working.

A passenger standing beside Nelson told the court how the driver tried to stop the car. The driver did not jump out and remained at the controls. At the turn toward Largo do Curvelo, the tram derailed, traveled another roughly fifty meters along the pavement, struck a pole, and overturned. Nelson and five other people died, and more than fifty were injured.

After the disaster, the entire Santa Teresa Tram system was closed. The starting station at Largo da Carioca was named after Nelson Correia da Silva. There was no service for almost four years.

On July twenty-seventh, two thousand fifteen, passengers were once again carried along this route. At first, only the section from the station named after Nelson to Largo do Curvelo was restored. The new cars turned around here: the route farther along Rua Almirante Alexandrino had not yet opened. The yellow paint scheme was retained, but the steps were made retractable—they now open only at stops.