Vitoria, Espirito Santo

Area: 104 km2
Population: 292.304 inhab. (est. 2002)
Visit map of Espirito Santo

The name Vitória means Victory.
"Capixaba" is an expression to designate all people from Espirito Santo, but is often used to refer to Vitoria.

Founded in 1551, Vitória is one of the three Brazilian capitals built on islands (the other two are São Luís and Florianopolis).
The island is 45 km2 in area, and consists of colonial buildings, ports and beaches. Studded with bays, it has five beaches and is in fact the largest island of an archipelago of 33 islets, which are joined by landfills and bridges. The city has tree-lined streets and a fine sea front on the beach at Camburi, six kilometres long for jogging or walking. Next to Camburi is Canto beach, the location of two well known squares, Desejo and Namorados. This is the area of the most lively bars and finest restaurants in Vitória, where the most famous traditional dish is moqueca capixaba, a variation of the most famous Bahia version.

The main buildings in Vitória are the Palácio Anchieta, begun when the city was founded, and formerly a college, a church, and now the seat of the State Government; the church of São Gonçalo, dating from 1766, in Jesuit colonial style; the Metropolitan cathedral, built in the twentieth century in Gothic style; the chapel of Santa Luzia, the first building of the city, constructed on a rocky outcrop; the church of Rosário, which is reached by a flight of 95 steps; and the Carlos Gomes Theatre, built in 1927 as a smaller replica of La Scala in Milan.

For a panoramic view of Vitória and Vila Velha - the first settlement in the state, linked to the capital by a bridge - one can go to Morro da Fonte Grande (312 metres), seven kilometres from the city centre. For shopping, the Capixaba Market sells items of wicker, sisal, shells and liana, as well as pottery (ceramics typical of the state). However, the most traditional ceramic pottery is to be found in Goiabeiras, a district in the north of the city.


Read more:
Vitoria official site. Maintained by the city government.
Vitória: Historical Center Excellent site. Info and photos of the Historical places of the city. In Portuguese only.
Universidade Federal do Espirito Santo. The Federal University of Espirito Santo, campus of Vitoria.
Vitoria. Travel information in Portuguese.


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