Praça Rio Branco, Central square in Recife, Brazil

Praça Rio Branco is a public square in Recife featuring a large compass rose design at its center surrounded by historic buildings that face the port area. The space connects several major thoroughfares and provides access to nearby museums and commercial structures.

The square took its present form in a early-20th-century reform of the Recife centre, when at least 480 buildings were demolished to open new avenues and the Matriz do Corpo Santo was torn down; the Maurício de Nassau building now stands on the church's site. The Marco Zero marker itself was installed on 31 January 1938 by the Automóvel Clube de Pernambuco. In 1999 the square was redesigned by painter Cícero Dias, and the bust and marker were moved to its edge.

The square honors the Baron of Rio Branco through its centerpiece bronze bust, serving as a gathering point that connects people to the city's identity. Locals use this space as a daily reference point when navigating the downtown area.

The square is easy to reach as it sits at the intersection of major streets and occupies a central location in the downtown area. It is an open space where you can walk freely and explore the surroundings at your own pace.

The Parque das Esculturas is not on the square itself but on the reef breakwater offshore, reached by boat from the square's quay. Its 32-metre Coluna de Cristal, inspired by a flower found by Burle Marx, and the ceramic works by Francisco Brennand stand on a 4 km dyke that begins in Brasília Teimosa.