Vila Mariana (ˈvila maɾiˈɐna) is a borough of the city of São Paulo

São Paulo

São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...

, Brazil

Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

. Placed in the south of Sé

Sé

Sé may refer to:*sé, the word 'he', or the number six in the Irish language.*Sé , a district of São Paulo, Brazil*Sé, Hungary, a village in Hungary*One of several parishes in Portugal:...

, east of Pinheiros

Pinheiros

Pinheiros is a district in the subprefecture of the same name in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Prior to development, the land which this borough occupies was dominated by the dense forest which contained a Brazilian subtropical species of pine, Araucaria angustifolia, which is also the symbol of...

 and west of Ipiranga

Ipiranga

Ipiranga for "red river") is an historical district located in the subprefecture of the same name of São Paulo, Brazil. The name Ipiranga comes from the river of the same name located in the region, which means "red river" in a Tupí–Guaraní language...

, it's a dynamic area of the city. It comprises the districts of Vila Mariana, Moema

Moema

Moema is a Brazilian municipality located in the center of the state of Minas Gerais. Its population as of 2007 was 6,754 people living in a total area of 203 km². The city belongs to the meso-region of Central Mineira and to the micro-region of Bom Despacho...

 and Saúde

Saúde

Saúde is a district in the city of São Paulo, Brazil....

. Like Pinheiros

Pinheiros

Pinheiros is a district in the subprefecture of the same name in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Prior to development, the land which this borough occupies was dominated by the dense forest which contained a Brazilian subtropical species of pine, Araucaria angustifolia, which is also the symbol of...

, it's a wealthy area and it comprises some of the most famous symbols of São Paulo

São Paulo

São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...

, like the Ibirapuera Park

Parque do Ibirapuera

Ibirapuera Park is a major urban park in São Paulo, Brazil. It has a large area for leisure, jogging and walking, as well as a convention center. Its importance to São Paulo is comparable to that of the Central Park to New York City...

, the Obelisk and Mausoleum of the heroes from the Constitutional Revolution in 1932 and the "Monumento às Bandeiras".

This bourough also has in its limits the headquarters of the Federal University of São Paulo

Federal University of São Paulo

UNIFESP is a university in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. It is the best federal institution of higher education of Brazil, according to the Brazilian Ministry of Education ....

 and its medicine

Medicine

Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....

 school.

Until the early 20th century, it used to be a stop for chariots and horse riders on the way to Jabaquara from the central area of São Paulo. The whole trip would take an entire day, but now it is commutable by car within less than 30min.

This borough is also the place where Athina Onassis lived, when she married the Brazilian horse rider Álvaro Alfonso de Miranda Neto

Álvaro Alfonso de Miranda Neto

Álvaro Alfonso de Miranda Neto is an Olympic-class Brazilian show jumping rider. He is married to Athina Onassis Roussel. He is president of the organizing committee behind the Athina Onassis International Horse Show, which debuted in 2007 as the fifth stage of the Global Champions Tour in Sao...

(the "Doda").