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Photos: On a Rio beach, Brazil’s sand king reigns over his castle

For the last 22 year's Marcio Matolias, the self-styled king on the beach of Barra da Tijuca has lived free-spirited among his books, fishing poles and golf clubs in fairytale sandcastles that he laboriously maintains in the tropical heat.

Updated on: Jan 23, 2018 10:44 AM IST

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They say a man’s home is his castle and Marcio Matolias has lived in his - albeit made of sand - on a beach in Rio de Janeiro for the past 22 years. In Barra da Tijuca, a wealthy beachside neighbourhood, neighbours and friends call him “The King”. He gladly assumes the role and poses willingly for passers-by, sceptre in hand, on his throne outside his meticulously-sculpted home. (Mauro Pimentel / AFP)

Updated on Jan 23, 2018 10:44 AM

They say a man’s home is his castle and Marcio Matolias has lived in his - albeit made of sand - on a beach in Rio de Janeiro for the past 22 years. In Barra da Tijuca, a wealthy beachside neighbourhood, neighbours and friends call him “The King”. He gladly assumes the role and poses willingly for passers-by, sceptre in hand, on his throne outside his meticulously-sculpted home. (Mauro Pimentel / AFP)

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It seems a precarious existence but Marcio, 44, can never see himself living another way. “People pay exorbitant rents to live in front of the sea. I don’t have any bills and I live very well here,” he told Agence France-Presse, waving a hand at the white sand and the islands sparkling on the horizon. (Mauro Pimentel / AFP)

Updated on Jan 23, 2018 10:44 AM

It seems a precarious existence but Marcio, 44, can never see himself living another way. “People pay exorbitant rents to live in front of the sea. I don’t have any bills and I live very well here,” he told Agence France-Presse, waving a hand at the white sand and the islands sparkling on the horizon. (Mauro Pimentel / AFP)

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Despite the idyllic setting, space inside is tight - about three square meters. Marcio, single and with no children, lives with a pile of books and some golf clubs, his passions after fishing. His bed? A sleeping bag on the ground. His bathroom? The firemen’s station about 30m away, where he can use the facilities for less than a dollar. (Mauro Pimentel / AFP)

Updated on Jan 23, 2018 10:44 AM

Despite the idyllic setting, space inside is tight - about three square meters. Marcio, single and with no children, lives with a pile of books and some golf clubs, his passions after fishing. His bed? A sleeping bag on the ground. His bathroom? The firemen’s station about 30m away, where he can use the facilities for less than a dollar. (Mauro Pimentel / AFP)

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A woman peruses books next to a sign reading “We accept donations of books” at a stand set by Marcio who came to Rio seeking a fortune, but could only afford to live on the street. All that changed when a friend taught him how to build a sandcastle. “I learned a lot from reading and I think my castle is a mixture of styles, between Niemeyer and Gaudi,” he said of his palace. (Mauro Pimentel / AFP)

Updated on Jan 23, 2018 10:44 AM

A woman peruses books next to a sign reading “We accept donations of books” at a stand set by Marcio who came to Rio seeking a fortune, but could only afford to live on the street. All that changed when a friend taught him how to build a sandcastle. “I learned a lot from reading and I think my castle is a mixture of styles, between Niemeyer and Gaudi,” he said of his palace. (Mauro Pimentel / AFP)

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As he retouches a turret here, adjusts a majestic gate there, Marcio believes he has everything he needs. The only problem is the unbearable summer sun. He sprinkles water on the walls to keep them firm in the baking heat, which on a recent afternoon reached 40 degrees Celsius. (Mauro Pimentel / AFP)

Updated on Jan 23, 2018 10:44 AM

As he retouches a turret here, adjusts a majestic gate there, Marcio believes he has everything he needs. The only problem is the unbearable summer sun. He sprinkles water on the walls to keep them firm in the baking heat, which on a recent afternoon reached 40 degrees Celsius. (Mauro Pimentel / AFP)

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People take photos in front of a castle made by Marcio. The mayor’s office never gave him a problem, he said. “I became a tourist attraction in some way, and also a social service,” he said, gesturing to his bookstand on the nearby promenade. He doesn’t ask for money, only that people exchange what they take. (Mauro Pimentel / AFP)

Updated on Jan 23, 2018 10:44 AM

People take photos in front of a castle made by Marcio. The mayor’s office never gave him a problem, he said. “I became a tourist attraction in some way, and also a social service,” he said, gesturing to his bookstand on the nearby promenade. He doesn’t ask for money, only that people exchange what they take. (Mauro Pimentel / AFP)

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Marcio speaks with children interested in his sand castle. To make a living, he put a box for donations at the entrance to his sandcastle which people often rob. “I used to get angry... but I started living with that paranoia, and I don’t want that. I do this for pleasure,” he said. From time to time, a shopping centre pays him to make one of his sand sculptures for special events. (Mauro Pimentel / AFP)

Updated on Jan 23, 2018 10:44 AM

Marcio speaks with children interested in his sand castle. To make a living, he put a box for donations at the entrance to his sandcastle which people often rob. “I used to get angry... but I started living with that paranoia, and I don’t want that. I do this for pleasure,” he said. From time to time, a shopping centre pays him to make one of his sand sculptures for special events. (Mauro Pimentel / AFP)

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He would like his works not to be so ephemeral. Rain can destroy in a few minutes the 10 or 20 hours’ work it takes him to complete one of his fairytale castles. An optimist by nature, Marcio hopes to be able to realize his great dream next year, to make sculptures using other materials, at a friend’s place. (Mauro Pimentel / AFP)

Updated on Jan 23, 2018 10:44 AM

He would like his works not to be so ephemeral. Rain can destroy in a few minutes the 10 or 20 hours’ work it takes him to complete one of his fairytale castles. An optimist by nature, Marcio hopes to be able to realize his great dream next year, to make sculptures using other materials, at a friend’s place. (Mauro Pimentel / AFP)

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With a crown on his head, Marcio sits on a throne in front of his sand castle with his dog Humana. Meanwhile, he doesn’t seem to tire of endlessly carving his fragile palace with a knife or a shovel. Like his hero Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia cathedral in Barcelona, the largest unfinished basilica in the world, Marcio’s creation is a perpetual work in progress. (Mauro Pimentel / AFP)

Updated on Jan 23, 2018 10:44 AM

With a crown on his head, Marcio sits on a throne in front of his sand castle with his dog Humana. Meanwhile, he doesn’t seem to tire of endlessly carving his fragile palace with a knife or a shovel. Like his hero Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia cathedral in Barcelona, the largest unfinished basilica in the world, Marcio’s creation is a perpetual work in progress. (Mauro Pimentel / AFP)

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