Alberto d’Alva Simão Square

(Former Santa Rosa Square)

The former Santa Rosa, located at the confluence of avenues Otacílio Negrão de Lima and Santa Rosa, near the House of Dance, was not built based on its first project, made by the landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx between 1940 and 1943.

The original conception was used of the aridity and the presence of rocks in the place. The proposal contained three environments: the lowest level, near the lake, formed by stones and succulent plants from the arid regions of the state of Minas Gerais. Above, a first living space and then another environment with a garden of ferruginous rocks and forest plants, and secondary vegetation of grasses and shrubs scattered in this region of the state. On the last level, another living space, surrounded by a garden of granite and gnaissic rocks with the typical vegetation of the rocky fields.

The project made, also by Burle Marx, is from 1973. It is different from the previous one, from 1943, but with the same conception. It gathers rocks and vegetables from Minas Gerais and is an example of the contributions made to the world landscape by Burle Marx.

It has a pergola, which is an concrete arbor with vines, the Vine of Saint John (Pyrostegia venusta), which forms an immense covered terrace; a water mirror next to a concrete wall covered in soapstone, where the fountains are, and a viewpoint, from where we see one of the most beautiful views of the Pampulha lake. The sidewalks are made of Portuguese stones.

In the gardens, the Square presents a collection of plants from the Cerrado ecoregion, from the Atlantic Forest ecoregion and from high plateau rock formations, such as: Jacarandas, Tibouchinas, Braunas, Licuri Palms, Tabebuias, Ema Canes (Vellozia squamata), Campomanesias, Orchids and Vine of Saint John (Pyrostegia venusta).

The name of the place is a tribute to the businessman who divided and sold the São Luís neighborhood, where the square is located.