The building In 1822, Emperor
Pedro I, traveling to
Vila Rica,
Minas Gerais, to seek support for the movement of the
independence of Brazil, was enchanted with the Atlantic Forest and the mild climate of the mountainous region. He stayed at Padre Correia's estate and even made an offer to buy it. Faced with the owner's refusal, Pedro bought the Córrego Seco estate in 1830, thinking of transforming it one day into the
Palace of Concordia. After his abdication and departure to Portugal, the estate was left as an inheritance for his son, Emperor Pedro II, who would build his favorite summer residence there. At the behest of Pedro II, the beautiful neoclassical building was constructed beginning in 1845, and it was completed in 1862. To begin construction, Pedro II signed a decree on 16 March 1843, creating the city of
Petrópolis. A large contingent of European immigrants, mainly Germans, under the command of the engineer and superintendent of the Imperial Treasury, Major Julius Friedrich Koeler, was commissioned to raise the city, build the palace and colonize the region. Constructed with resources from the Emperor's personal endowment, the building had the original design elaborated by Koeler himself and, after his death, was modified by Cristoforo Bonini, who added the granite portico to the central body. To conclude the work, important architects linked to the
Imperial Academy of Fine Arts were hired: Joaquim Cândido Guillobel and José Maria Jacinto Rebelo, with the collaboration of Manuel de Araújo Porto Alegre in the decoration. The complex was enriched, still in the 1850s, with the garden planned and executed by the landscaper Jean-Baptiste Binot, under the guidance of the young Emperor. The vestibule floor, in
Carrara marble and black marble from
Belgium, was laid in 1854, and the floors and frames in hardwoods, such as
jacaranda, cedar, pau-satin, rose and vignette, from the various provinces of the Empire. The stuccoes of the dining rooms, music rooms, visits of the Empress, state and bedroom of their majesties contribute to give grace and beauty to the environments of the Palace, one of the most important architectural monuments in Brazil. When the foundation stone was laid, there was leveling of the area, which was known as "
Morro da Santa Cruz", to start the works, all of which were financed by stewardship of the
Imperial House, as Pedro II said, in his private property, one should not use state money. In the Petrópolis plant, made by Koeler, it is indicated the place of the palace in a quadrilateral between the Emperor Street and the Empress Street. There were still other buildings on the same land, whose identification is impossible to make. The works began in the right wing of the palace, and the foundations came from a nearby quarry. Oxen were used for "Pulling earth, stone and wood". Work was continued on the left wing (which at the beginning was seen to be wider than the right and later was arranged) the
Sobrado, where the main entrances to the palace, besides the rooms, were ready. All the rooms were decorated and furnished with beautiful stucco and furniture.
The gardens It was under the personal guidance of the Emperor that the gardens surrounding the Palace were built by the Parisian landscaper Jean Baptiste Binot in 1854. With around 100 species of trees and flowers, from more than 15 regions of the world (
Mexico,
Japan,
Argentina,
India,
Ecuador,
China,
Australia,
Madagascar, among others) and French grass, the gardens still maintain the landscape lines, both in relation to the beds and the arrangement of plant species. The green belt surrounding the Palace features exotic trees such as Madagascar's banana trees and incense trees, flowers like camellias, jasmins, manacas and emperor flowers. As a complement, granite pedestals where busts of mythological figures were placed, also won three fountains and four fountains. Among them, the Fountain of the Frog, from where the inhabitants drew water, believing that it was of better quality. The first project presented was from Glaziou, this official landscaper of the Emperor, who designed the gardens of
Quinta da Boa Vista and several other parks, but was refused. The gardens were designed by Binot, also French. One can still see the primitive layout of the gardens, from pandals of Africa, palms of Australia, incense trees, among others. The gardens have been modifying and diminishing over time, but they can still be seen and appreciated.
Republican era at the museum's opening, 16 March 1943 With the
Republican coup d'état, on 15 November 1889, the Imperial Family was banished and exiled in Europe. In December of the same year, the Empress
Teresa Cristina died in
Portugal and, two years later, in 1891, Emperor Pedro II died in
Paris. Between 1893 and 1908,
Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil, as sole heiress, rented the Palace of Petrópolis to the Notre Dame de Sion Schoolhouse. Then between 1909 and 1939, St. Vincent of Paul College functioned in the building. In that period, much of the furniture and other objects were sold or expropriated. President
Getúlio Vargas created, on 29 March 1940, by Decree-Law No. 2,096, the Imperial Museum. From then on, a technical team led by Sodré himself, who would become the first director of the Museum, studied the history of the building and locate pieces belonging to the Imperial Family in different palaces, to illustrate the nineteenth century and day to day of members of the Brazilian
House of Braganza. Important national collectors joined the project, donating objects of historical and artistic interest. As a result, the Imperial Museum was inaugurated on March 16, 1943, with a significant collection of pieces related to the Brazilian imperial period, with a ceremony that included members of the Imperial Family. Over the last seven decades, it has accumulated significant documentary collections, bibliographical collections (many from
Château d'Eu) and objects thanks to the generous donations of hundreds of citizens, totaling a collection of almost 300,000 items. Much of the interior decoration is still preserved, such as the floors in noble stones, stuccos, chandeliers and furniture, rebuilding the environments. ==Museum==