Paço Imperial
22°54′12.63″S 43°10′27.24″W / 22.9035083°S 43.1742333°W
Paço Imperial | |
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Portuguese Colonial | |
Town or city | Rio de Janeiro |
Country | Brazil |
Construction started | 1738 |
Design and construction | |
Architect(s) | José Fernandes Pinto Alpoim |
The Paço Imperial (Brazilian Portuguese: [ˈpasu ĩpeɾiˈaw]), or Imperial Palace, previously known as the Royal Palace of Rio de Janeiro and Palace of the Viceroys, is a historic building in the center of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Paço Imperial was built in the 18th century to serve as a residence for the governors of colonial Brazil. From 1808, it was used as a royal residence by King John VI of Portugal as King of Portugal and later also as King of Brazil. In 1822 it became the city palace of the monarchs of the Empire of Brazil, Pedro I and Pedro II, who used it not as a residence, but as a workplace. It was one of the main political centers of Brazil for nearly 150 years, from 1743 to 1889.
The Paço Imperial is located in the
History
Origins
The current building was constructed by the order of Gomes Freire de Andrade, governor of the
The whole area beside the Governors’s House was also remodelled by Pinto Alpoim and turned into a spacious square (known today as Praça XV) including a marble fountain brought from Lisbon. On the opposite side of the square, a large residential building for the Teles de Menezes family was built (a portion of this building still exists).
In 1763, as the seat of the colonial government of Brazil was transferred from
Royal Palace
The Palace became a Royal Palace (Paço Real) in 1808, when the court of
Imperial Palace
In 1822, Brazil became an independent nation as the Empire of Brazil. The Palace continued as an administrative center under Emperor Pedro I and his successor Pedro II. At this time it was renamed the Imperial Palace (Paço Imperial). The Emperors resided at the São Cristóvão Palace (Palace of St. Christopher), but the Imperial Palace remained the formal seat of the Court and the monarch's workplace.
Several important events in the History of Brazil are associated with the Paço Imperial. On 9 January 1822, Pedro I announced from one of the balconies of the Palace facing the square that he would refuse Portuguese orders and remain on in an independent Brazil (the so-called Dia do Fico). During 1888 in one of the Palace chambers, Pedro II's daughter Princess Isabel, acting as regent, signed the famous Lei Áurea, which definitively banned slavery from Brazil. In addition, the Palace and its adjacent square and chapel were the scene for the coronations of John VI, Pedro I and Pedro II and other public celebrations.
Decay and restoration
With the establishment of the
Since 1984 the Paço Imperial has been an important cultural center, hosting temporary art exhibitions of painting, sculpture, cinema, music, etc. It also houses the Paulo Santos Library, specializing in art, architecture and engineering, and also containing several rare books from the 16th to the 18th centuries.
Gallery
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The Paço Imperial in 1818
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Acclamation of Pedro II, 1831
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The palace being prepared for the wedding ceremony of Princess Isabel and Prince Gaston of Orléans, 1864
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Princess Isabel is cheered from the central balcony by a crowd in the streets, moments after having signed theGolden Law, 1888
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Main portal of the Paço Imperial
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Side view
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The Imperial Palace as seen from the Candido Mendes building
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Seen from Assembléia Street
See also
- Paço de São Cristóvão, the imperial palace – residence of the Emperors of Brazil
- Baroque architecture
References
- Centro de Arquitetura e Urbanismo do Rio de Janeiro (2000). Guia da arquitetura colonial, neoclássica e romântica no Rio de Janeiro (in Portuguese). Rio de Janeiro: Casa da Palavra. OCLC 47727038.
External links
- Official website —(in Portuguese)