Escadaria Selaron and its tiled ascent between Lapa and Santa Teresa
Published on 08/22/2026 at 19:19 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Escadaria Selaron in Rio de Janeiro is a steep urban staircase transformed into a long ceramic mural, rising between Lapa and Santa Teresa as a bright ribbon of colour and pattern. Created and continually reworked by Chilean-born artist Jorge Selaron from the early 1990s until his death in 2013, it has become one of the clearest examples of a lived-in city corner turned into public art.
A staircase turned into a ceramic artwork
Escadaria Selaron is a flight of concrete steps climbing the hillside on Rua Manuel Carneiro, between the central neighbourhood of Lapa and the hill district of Santa Teresa in Rio de Janeiro. The staircase occupies a public street but reads visually as a single artwork, because every visible surface of the risers and side walls is covered with ceramic tiles, porcelain pieces and fragments of glazing.Escadaria Selaron staircase
The work is closely associated with Jorge Selaron, a painter and ceramist born in Chile in 1947 who settled in Brazil.Jorge Selaron In 1990 he began to decorate the steps leading up to the Convent of Santa Teresa with ceramic tiles, initially focusing on the risers. Over more than two decades he extended the coverage to the flanking walls and kept replacing individual pieces, treating the staircase as an evolving surface rather than a finished monument.
Dimensions, layout and materials
The staircase has 215 individual steps and runs for about 125 m (410 ft) along the slope, forming a clear axis between the streets of Joaquim Silva and Pinto Martins at the lower end and the higher level of Santa Teresa near the convent at the top.215 steps over 125 metres It is long enough that the tiled surfaces unfold in sections, with different motifs and colours becoming apparent as visitors ascend or descend.
The tiles themselves are a mix of Brazilian pieces and ceramics gathered from abroad. Sources describe more than 2,000 tiles collected from dozens of countries, with designs ranging from abstract patterns and national flags to city names and figurative scenes.tiles from over 60 countries The predominant colours pick up the greens, yellows and blues of the Brazilian flag on many sections, but the overall effect is one of controlled patchwork rather than a single repeating pattern.tile-covered staircase
Between Lapa, Santa Teresa and daily life
Escadaria Selaron sits at the edge of two distinct parts of Rio de Janeiro: the lower entrance lies close to the historic tram tracks and nightlife of Lapa, while the upper end emerges near the convent and streets of Santa Teresa. The staircase therefore functions both as an access route between neighbourhoods and as a destination in its own right, framed by ordinary buildings, overhead wiring and the sound of traffic from the surrounding streets.connection between Lapa and Santa Teresa
As a public artwork, it remains part of the city’s everyday fabric. Residents still use the stairway as a way up and down the hill, passing along narrow landings and sections where the tiles include portraits, stylised human figures and occasionally repeated motifs associated with Selaron’s own work. The combination of steep gradient, close-packed buildings and continuous ceramic surfaces gives this short stretch of street a distinctive character compared with the surrounding grid of roads.
Visiting Escadaria Selaron: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Escadaria Selaron stands on Rua Manuel Carneiro between the districts of Lapa and Santa Teresa in central Rio de Janeiro, with its main lower access near Rua Joaquim Silva.
- The staircase climbs a noticeable slope and consists of 215 concrete steps; anyone visiting should expect a sustained ascent or descent on solid but sometimes irregular treads.
- The area around the lower entrance includes busy streets and tram lines, while the upper end approaches the quieter hill environment near the Convent of Santa Teresa.
- The official language is Portuguese and the currency is the Brazilian real.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Escadaria Selaron
Where is Escadaria Selaron located in Rio de Janeiro?
Escadaria Selaron is on Rua Manuel Carneiro between Lapa and Santa Teresa, with its lower entrance near Rua Joaquim Silva in central Rio de Janeiro.
What should visitors expect when climbing the staircase?
Visitors can expect a sustained climb or descent over 215 steps, with continuous tiled surfaces on the risers and side walls and ordinary urban surroundings.
What makes Escadaria Selaron distinctive among Rio’s landmarks?
Its character comes from the combination of steep street layout, full ceramic coverage and the long-term involvement of Jorge Selaron, who worked on the staircase from 1990 to 2013.
