Paço Imperial

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 Praça XV de Novembro 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.

Text adapted from “Paço Imperial” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Paço Imperial ranks #1,225 of 7,738 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #4 of the 81 mapped in Brazil. Founded 1743, it is older than 19% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 525 atlas entries founded in the 18th century. Its Wikipedia articles were opened 5,303 times in the last 60 days, more than 85% of the atlas. 18 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. The nearest day-trip guide is Greater Rio de Janeiro, 3 km away. See how Brazil compares in the castle statistics.

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Read the full history on Wikipedia ↗