The idea of moving the capital from Rio de Janeiro to the current city of Brasilia was first proposed in 1823 by Jose Bonifacio at the National Assembly (the name was already chosen then.) However Pedro I dissolved the assembly before a decision could be reached. Only 99 years later was the idea realized, when in 1922 near the city of Planaltina plans for the construction of the city were begun.

The current capital of Brazil was constructed in 4 years,under the will of Juscelino Kubitschek (former president). With his election in 1956 came the promise to move the capital in-land in orderto focus interest away from the coast and into the inner-expansion of the country. Elaborate contests were held to find the architect whose plan would be the future city- the winner was Lucio Costa. After hundreds of thousands of workers put in their hard and gruesome labor, and many satellite cities sprung up, the city of Brasilia was inaugurated on April 21, 1960. Soon afterwards came the University of Brasilia, the Cathedral, the Conjunto Nacional, the T.V. Tower, and all the sites of present-day Brasilia.

The city would not be one of the world's best examples of Modernist tendencies if not for the collaboration of the great architects Oscar Neimeyar and Lucio Costa. The rationality employed in the construction of the city can be considered short-sighted, yet it makes the city only more fascinating,though not always practical to live in.

The city was deemed a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987.

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