The Rio Branco Palace ( pt, Palácio Rio Branco) is a palace and former seat of government in Salvador,

Bahia Bahia ( , , ; meaning "bay") is one of the 26 states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Rio de Janeiro) and the 5th-largest b ...

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

. It is one of the oldest palaces in Brazil and dates to 1549. It is located within the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

of the

Historic Center of Salvador The Historic Center ( US) or Centre ( UK; pt, Centro Histórico) of Salvador de Bahia in Brazil, also known as the Pelourinho ( Portuguese for "Pillory") or Pelo, is a historic neighborhood in western Salvador, Bahia. It was the city's cent ...

History

Construction of the palace began in the mid-16th century under

Tomé de Sousa Tomé de Sousa (1503–1579) was the first governor-general of the Portuguese colony of Brazil from 1549 until 1553. He was a nobleman and soldier born in Rates, Póvoa de Varzim. Sousa was born a noble and participated in military expeditions in ...

, the first governor-general of Brazil, to be used as the center of Portuguese administration. It was later used as a military barracks and prison. It housed

Dom Pedro II Dom PedroII (2 December 1825 – 5 December 1891), nicknamed "the Magnanimous" ( pt, O Magnânimo), was the second and last monarch of the Empire of Brazil, reigning for over 58 years. He was born in Rio de Janeiro, the seventh child of Em ...

during his tour of Bahia in 1859. The palace was significantly renovated in 1900 under Luís Viana, Governor of Bahia between 1896 and 1900. It was bombed on January 10, 1912, during the attack of the city of Salvador, under the command of President

Hermes da Fonseca Hermes Rodrigues da Fonseca (; 12 May 1855 – 9 September 1923) was a Brazilian field marshal and politician who served as the eighth President of Brazil between 1910 and 1914. He was a nephew of marshal Deodoro da Fonseca, the first president ...

. The building suffered significant damage and its rich collection of rare books was completely destroyed.

Reconstruction and renovation

Reconstruction of the palace began under Governor Antônio Muniz Sodré de Aragão in 1919. The renovated palace was named "Rio Branco" in honor of the Brazilian statesman

José Paranhos, Baron of Rio Branco José Maria da Silva Paranhos Júnior, Baron of Rio Branco (in Portuguese: ''Barão do Rio Branco'') (20 April 1845 – 10 February 1912) was a Brazilian noble, diplomat, geographer, historian, politician and professor, considered to be the "fat ...

. In this renovation the palace received its ornate Neoclassical

façade A façade () (also written facade) is generally the front part or exterior of a building. It is a loan word from the French (), which means ' frontage' or ' face'. In architecture, the façade of a building is often the most important aspect ...

. The palace was renovated again in 1984. It now houses the Pedro Calmon Foundation and the Memorial of the Governors.

Structure

The Rio Branco Palace covers .

References

{{Authority control Historic Center (Salvador, Bahia) Palaces in Brazil 1549 establishments in the Portuguese Empire Eclectic architecture