By willdias on Skatehive
Franklin Roosevelt Square, better known simply as Roosevelt Square, is a square located in the central area of the Brazilian city of São Paulo, between Consolação and Augusta Streets. It was officially inaugurated on January 25, 1970 by the then president of the Republic, Emílio Garrastazu Medici. Initially known as Praça do Café or Praça da Consolação, the place got its current name in October 1945, in honor of the deceased American president. In the 19th century, the land belonged to Dona Veridiana Prado, a São Paulo aristocrat who owned a large house on the site. Later she moved to the Higienópolis region. With the construction of the Consolação Church in 1959, the space began to be used for parking and open fairs. The project for the square started in 1960, with Faria Lima as mayor. Much criticized, the work was considered elitist and not very similar to what a square should be. Degraded in the following years it became an open-air shelter for homeless people, until the arrival of