Old World Grandeur

Sao Paulo, Brazil. A city of extremes. Third largest metropolis in the world. It also has the largest Japanese population outside of Japan and also the largest Italian community out of Italy.
The Theatro Municipal was built in 1903 on the style of Palais Garnier in Paris (the old Parisian Opera House). This is a view of its café that reflects a Belle Epoque European grandeur.
Surprisingly, the downtown section of Sao Paulo reflects its European heritage in a striking manner: old buildings from Portuguese or Italian inspiration are dwarfed by the more modern constructions.