Recife is the capital of the state of Pernambuco, in the north-east of Brazil, and the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area - a conurbation of another 13 cities, including Olinda, with a population of 3.7m. Because of its economical importance for the region, the city is often called ‘the capital of the North-east'.

The histories of Recife and Olinda run parallel to each other. For several years, Recife (Portuguese for ‘reef') existed essentially as the port that connected the village of Olinda to the Atlantic. The build-up of Recife was profoundly boosted by the presence of the Dutch in the north-east of Brazil. As the Dutch West India Company dominated the region, Maurice of Nassau disembarked in Recife in 1637 and ordered the construction of the bridges, canals and levees of the then-called Mauritsstad (Maurice City), which was the capital of the Dutch colonies in the Americas. Maurice of Nassau's term only lasted until 1644, but Recife inherited its architectural legacy that eventually led to the nickname ‘the Brazilian Venice'.

Some of the most impressive beaches around the state's capital are Boa Viagem, one of the most famous urban beaches of the region, and Porto de Galinhas, which stands among the top tourist destinations in the country, located some 70km away from Recife.

However, because of the Dutch presence and the several twists of fate over its history, besides the tropical climate and the spectacular beaches that are common to the north-eastern coast of Brazil, the region of Recife is also prolific on historical attributes, such as the Orange Fort and the very city of Olinda, which was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1982.

There is no better time to check the traditions of Recife and Olinda closely than carnival, when the rhythms of frevo and maracatu completely take the cities over and rock street parades like the Galo da Madrugada (‘Dawn Rooster'), which brings two million people to the streets every year.

Football
You will hardly find another city in Brazil as football-mad as Recife. It is a tough task to determine which of the three top clubs of the state of Pernambuco relies on a more passionate fan base; Sport Club do Recife, Santa Cruz Futebol Clube or Clube Nautico Capibaribe.

All three teams have had glorious moments in Brazilian football, although Sport stand slightly apart from their competitors thanks to two major titles: the Campeonato Brasileiro in 1987 and the Copa do Brasil in 2008.

Each Sport, Santa Cruz and Nautico have their own private stadium - Ilha do Retiro, Arrudao and Aflitos respectively - but the state government of Pernambuco has decided to put up a new, more modern one to be up to the standards of the FIFA World Cup: the Arena Pernambuco, which will be built at the metropolitan area surrounding Recife.

Owner: Nautico (PE)

Capacity: 44248

Country: Brazil

City: Recife

Address: Itaipava Arena Pernambuco, São Lourenço da Mata, Greater Recife

Value: About $230 million

Inauguration: 2014

Average temperature in June: 25°C

Profile:
Recife, located on the north-eastern coast of Brazil, hosted a match the last time the World Cup took place in the country in 1950. Its newly-built stadium is the home of home to three historic Brazilian clubs - Nautico, Santa Cruz and Sport. The locals are football mad. Recife is the capital of the state of Pernambuco, and is often called ‘the capital of the north-east’ due to its importance to Brazil’s economy.

The Arena Pernambuco, which is part of a complex also featuring restaurants, shopping centres and cinemas, is located in Sao Lourenco da Mata in Recife’s metropolitan zone, just 19km away from Guararapes International Airport. The project is seen as an economic catalyst for the continued expansion of Grande Recife, within an area which is considered to be economically deprived. It is also estimated that the area will expand into a neighbourhood including nearly 5,000 homes.

With room for 42,849 spectators and constructed by means of a partnership between the public and private sector, the Arena Pernambuco now hosts Nautico’s games – following the agreement reached with the club in October 2011.

Matches:
14/06/2014 22:00 Ivory Coast vs. Japan
20/06/2014 13:00 Italy vs. Costa Rica
23/06/2014 17:00 Croatia vs. Mexico
26/06/2014 13:00 USA vs. Germany
29/06/2014 17:00 Round of 16 1D vs. 2C

Local hero:
Rivaldo grew up in the city and began his career at local club Santa Cruz before moving on to bigger and better things. At his peak, the forward spent five years in Spain at Barcelona, winning the World and European Player of the Year Award in 1999. He played 74 times for his country.