A Little Piece of France

Back in December, Claire and I transported ourselves to a little piece of Germany when we visited Campos do Jordão. This weekend, it was time to head to a little piece of France, right here in the middle of Sao Paulo. The Museu Paulista, also called the Museu Ipiranga, and its gardens were built in the style of Château Versailles. The building was commissioned in 1884 by Dom Pedro II as a moment to Brazil’s independence. The idea of building a monument to Brazil's independence, on or near the spot where the soon-to-be Dom Pedro I declared “independence or death” back in 1822, had been around for quite awhile. However, it was only when Italian architect Tommaso Gaudenzio Bezzi proposed the plans for the current building, that Dom Pedro II authorized its construction. At the time of its commission, the monarchy was faltering and the idea of republicanism was gaining ground. In addition to commemorating Brazil’s independence, Dom Pedro hoped that the construction of the stately building would help bolster the monarchy’s standing (it didn’t and Brazil became a republic in 1889).

Inaugurated on November 15, 1890, on the one year anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic of Brazil, the building opened as a natural history museum in 1895. Eventually, the natural history exhibit was moved to another location and the Museum’s collection came to revolve around the history of Sao Paulo and its inhabitants. Within its exhibits is an excellent collection of old photographs of Sao Paulo back in the day. In all, visiting the museum and lazing around the gardens and the fountains sipping an agua de coco was a terrific way to spend a sunny afternoon in Sao Paulo.