After a long period of renovation, we told you here that the Capanema Palace has reopened with free guided tours. But did you know that there are other iconic buildings in the city that you can also visit for free? Here’s an itinerary of xx historic palaces in Rio for you to include on your next trip!
Tiradentes Palace
The current seat of the Legislative Assembly of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Alerj), the Tiradentes Palace was inaugurated in May 1926. And it’s impossible to walk around the city center and not be impressed by the building’s imposing façade!
Inside, the Tiradentes Palace follows the neo-Greek style of architecture and preserves floors, furniture and statues from the period. Not to mention that the building was the scene of important historical episodes, such as the imprisonment of Joaquim José da Silva Xavier, known as Tiradentes – hence the name!
So it’s well worth visiting the Tiradentes Palace, which offers free guided tours. They always take place from Monday to Friday, from 10am to 5pm, but you need to book in advance by email!
📌Rua Primeiro de Março, s/nº – Centro
Imperial Palace
Next door to the Tiradentes Palace is the Paço Imperial, the oldest of Rio’s palaces!
It was from there that Dom Pedro I announced in 1822 that he would not be returning to Portugal, an event that became known as ‘Dia do Fico’. It was also the residence of the governor and viceroy in the 18th century.
Today, the Paço functions as a multicultural space, with a varied program of visual, performing and musical arts. It’s free to visit and you don’t even need to book!
📌Praça XV, 48 – Centro
Pedro Ernesto Palace
The Pedro Ernesto Palace, which is next to the Theatro Municipal has housed the Rio de Janeiro City Council since 1923.
The historic and imposing building houses important works of art, including the largest canvas painting in Brazil, a 50-square-meter mural by Eliseu Visconti .
Among other curiosities, it was nicknamed the ‘Golden Cage’ because of the very high cost of its construction at the time. Visits to the Palace take place from Monday to Friday, from 10am to 4pm.
📌Praça Floriano, s/nº – Cinelândia
Catete Palace (Museum of the Republic)
Like the Capanema Palace, the Catete Palace – now the Museum of the Republic – was also closed for a while and partially reopened last month for visitors.
As a result, the public is still unable to see the famous “Getúlio’s Room” and other rooms, but emblematic items, such as the death mask and the pyjamas worn on the day Getúlio Vargas died, are on display on the first floor.
Visits take place from Wednesday to Sunday, from 11am to 5pm. But the historic gardens are open daily, from 8am to 6pm, and there are always lots of cool fairs and festivals going on there.
📌Rua do Catete, 153 – Catete
São Cristóvão Palace
Among Rio de Janeiro’s historic palaces, I couldn’t mention the São Cristóvão Palace – or just Paço de São Cristóvão – which is located in Quinta da Boa Vista.
It was the official residence of the royal family during their first years in Brazil. It continued to be the official home of Emperor Pedro for a long time, until the establishment of the Republic.
The Palace is currently home to the National Museum, which reopened this year after a fire in 2018. For this reason, it is open to visitors on a temporary basis until the end of August. From Tuesday to Sunday, from 10am and the last entrance is at 3pm.
📌Avenida Pedro II, s/n – São Cristóvão