Paço Imperial
Encyclopedia
The Paço Imperial (ˈpasu ĩpeɾiˈaw, ˈpasu ĩpɨɾiˈaɫ), or Imperial Palace, 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 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 Praça XV in central Rio. Due to its architectural and historical significance, it is one of Brazil's most important historic buildings. Today it serves as a cultural center.
military engineer José Fernandes Pinto Alpoim, a close collaborator of the governor, who greatly enlarged the existing buildings of the Royal mint
and the Royal storage house which existed in the same place. This new Governor House (Casa dos Governadores) was finished in 1743 in a plain Baroque
style and, except for some details, had the same appearance as the building that exists today. The Palace, very similar to contemporary Portuguese manor house
s, has a beautiful Baroque portal made of Portuguese marble, several inner courtyards and a stairway to reach the upper storeys.
The whole area beside the Governor 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 Salvador to Rio de Janeiro, the building was turned into the Viceroy’s Palace (Paço dos Vice-Reis), used by the Viceroy
of Brazil as administrative center. Around this period, the square beside the Palace gained a stone harborside quay and a new fountain (Fonte de Mestre Valentim) which still exists today.
John VI
arrived in Rio, escaping the invasion of Portugal
by Napoleon
. Here the Prince Regent (and later King) John VI ruled the newly-named United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and Algarves. Around this time, a third floor was added to the central portion of the façade of the Palace which faced the sea. At the back of the Palace, an elevated passageway was built to link the Palace with the Carmelite Convent
, where Queen Mary I of Portugal was housed. A throne room was arranged on the second floor of the Palace, and there the traditional ceremony of beija-mão (hand kissing) took place.
. 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 coronation
s of John VI, Pedro I and Pedro II and other public celebrations.
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.
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, 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...
. The Paço Imperial was built in the 18th century to serve as residence for the governors of colonial Brazil
Colonial Brazil
In the history of Brazil, Colonial Brazil, officially the Viceroyalty of Brazil comprises the period from 1500, with the arrival of the Portuguese, until 1815, when Brazil was elevated to kingdom alongside Portugal as the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves.During the over 300 years...
. From 1808, it was used as a royal residence by King John VI of Portugal
John VI of Portugal
John VI John VI John VI (full name: João Maria José Francisco Xavier de Paula Luís António Domingos Rafael; (13 May 1767 – 10 March 1826) was King of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves (later changed to just King of Portugal and the Algarves, after Brazil was recognized...
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
Pedro II of Brazil
Dom Pedro II , nicknamed "the Magnanimous", was the second and last ruler of the Empire of Brazil, reigning for over 58 years. Born in Rio de Janeiro, he was the seventh child of Emperor Dom Pedro I of Brazil and Empress Dona Maria Leopoldina and thus a member of the Brazilian branch of...
, 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 Praça XV in central Rio. Due to its architectural and historical significance, it is one of Brazil's most important historic buildings. Today it serves as a cultural center.
Origins
The current building was constructed by the order of Gomes Freire de Andrade, governor of the Capitania (colonial administrative region) of Rio de Janeiro. The architect was the PortuguesePortugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
military engineer José Fernandes Pinto Alpoim, a close collaborator of the governor, who greatly enlarged the existing buildings of the Royal mint
Mint (coin)
A mint is an industrial facility which manufactures coins for currency.The history of mints correlates closely with the history of coins. One difference is that the history of the mint is usually closely tied to the political situation of an era...
and the Royal storage house which existed in the same place. This new Governor House (Casa dos Governadores) was finished in 1743 in a plain Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
style and, except for some details, had the same appearance as the building that exists today. The Palace, very similar to contemporary Portuguese manor house
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
s, has a beautiful Baroque portal made of Portuguese marble, several inner courtyards and a stairway to reach the upper storeys.
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
. 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 Salvador to Rio de Janeiro, the building was turned into the Viceroy’s Palace (Paço dos Vice-Reis), used by the Viceroy
Viceroy
A viceroy is a royal official who runs a country, colony, or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king. A viceroy's province or larger territory is called a viceroyalty...
of Brazil as administrative center. Around this period, the square beside the Palace gained a stone harborside quay and a new fountain (Fonte de Mestre Valentim) which still exists today.
Royal Palace
The Palace became a Royal Palace (Paço Real) in 1808, when the court of Prince RegentPrince Regent
A prince regent is a prince who rules a monarchy as regent instead of a monarch, e.g., due to the Sovereign's incapacity or absence ....
John VI
John VI of Portugal
John VI John VI John VI (full name: João Maria José Francisco Xavier de Paula Luís António Domingos Rafael; (13 May 1767 – 10 March 1826) was King of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves (later changed to just King of Portugal and the Algarves, after Brazil was recognized...
arrived in Rio, escaping the invasion of Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
by Napoleon
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
. Here the Prince Regent (and later King) John VI ruled the newly-named United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and Algarves. Around this time, a third floor was added to the central portion of the façade of the Palace which faced the sea. At the back of the Palace, an elevated passageway was built to link the Palace with the Carmelite Convent
Carmelites
The Order of the Brothers of Our Lady of Mount Carmel or Carmelites is a Catholic religious order perhaps founded in the 12th century on Mount Carmel, hence its name. However, historical records about its origin remain uncertain...
, where Queen Mary I of Portugal was housed. A throne room was arranged on the second floor of the Palace, and there the traditional ceremony of beija-mão (hand kissing) took place.
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 IIPedro II of Brazil
Dom Pedro II , nicknamed "the Magnanimous", was the second and last ruler of the Empire of Brazil, reigning for over 58 years. Born in Rio de Janeiro, he was the seventh child of Emperor Dom Pedro I of Brazil and Empress Dona Maria Leopoldina and thus a member of the Brazilian branch of...
. At this time it was renamed the Imperial Palace (Paço Imperial). The Emperors resided at the São Cristóvão Palace (Palace of St. Christopher)
Paço de São Cristóvão
Paço de São Cristóvão is a palace located in the Quinta da Boa Vista park in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is the former residence of the Emperors of Brazil...
, but the Imperial Palace remained the formal seat of the Court and the monarch's workplace.
Several important events in the History of Brazil
History of Brazil
The history of Brazil begins with the arrival of the first indigenous peoples, thousands of years ago by crossing the Bering land bridge into Alaska and then moving south....
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
Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil
Dona Isabel , nicknamed "the Redemptress", was the heiress presumptive to the throne of the Empire of Brazil, bearing the title of Princess Imperial....
, acting as regent, signed the famous Lei Áurea
Lei Áurea
The Lei Áurea , adopted on May 13, 1888, was the law that abolished slavery in Brazil.It was preceded by the Rio Branco Law of September 28, 1871 , which freed all children born to slave parents, and by the Saraiva-Cotegipe Law , of September 28, 1885, that freed slaves when they reached the age of...
, which definitively banned slavery from Brazil. In addition, the Palace and its adjacent square and chapel were the scene for the coronation
Coronation
A coronation is a ceremony marking the formal investiture of a monarch and/or their consort with regal power, usually involving the placement of a crown upon their head and the presentation of other items of regalia...
s of John VI, Pedro I and Pedro II and other public celebrations.
Decadence and recovery
With the establishment of the Republic of Brazil in 1889, the Paço Imperial lost its former importance and was converted into the central Mail Office for Rio de Janeiro. The interior decorations of the rooms were dispersed, and the façades were modified. In 1980 a major restoration returned the building to the appearance it had around 1818. This task was made easier as an enormous number of images from the 18th and 19th centuries depict the Palace in detail.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.
See also
- Paço de São CristóvãoPaço de São CristóvãoPaço de São Cristóvão is a palace located in the Quinta da Boa Vista park in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is the former residence of the Emperors of Brazil...
, the imperial palace – residence of the Emperors of Brazil - Baroque architectureBaroque architectureBaroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...