Largo do Boticário (Apothecary’s Square)

Cosme Velho

Largo do Boticário is a secluded historic square in Cosme Velho, reached through a narrow alley and a small bridge over the Carioca River. Its origins date to the 1830s, while the colourful ensemble acquired its present neocolonial character mainly between the 1920s and 1940s, incorporating architectural elements recovered from demolished buildings. Protected as cultural heritage since 1990, the square was also used as a filming location for Moonraker (1979). After decades of deterioration, the buildings were restored and reopened in 2022 as the JO&JOE Rio de Janeiro hospitality complex, preserving the historic façades within a contemporary adaptation.

Address

Largo do Boticário, access via R. Cosme Velho, 822 - Cosme Velho, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, 22241-120, Brazil

GPS: -22.939324, -43.201431

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Filmed here

  • Largo do Boticário as the exterior of MI6 headquarters in Rio
    Moonraker (1979)

    Film

    Brazilian MI6 headquarters

    The historic houses of Largo do Boticário appear as the exterior of the British intelligence headquarters in Rio de Janeiro. The establishing shot shows riders entering the secluded square before Bond reports to M and Q; only the exterior was filmed at Largo do Boticário.