The Palácio Rio Negro in Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, is the official summer residence of the Presidents of the Republic since 1903.
Built in the 1890s, it belonged to Manoel Gomes de Carvalho, the Baron of Rio Negro. In 1903, the Palace was incorporated into the Federal Government and became the official summer residence of the Presidents of the Republic. Since then, it has been visited by Rodrigues Alves, Afonso Pena, Nilo Peçanha, Hermes da Fonseca, Wenceslau Brás, Epitácio Pessoa, Artur Bernardes, Washington Luiz, Getúlio Vargas, Gaspar Dutra, Café Filho, Juscelino Kubitschek, João Goulart, and Costa e Silva. Its most frequent visitor was President Getúlio Vargas, who, during his 18 years in office, never failed to spend a summer in Petrópolis.
The palace was used more frequently when the city of Rio de Janeiro was the capital of Brazil. Since the government headquarters were transferred to the country’s capital, Brasília, the visits of presidents to the Palácio Rio Negro have drastically decreased. The palace was not used in the 1970s and 1980s. President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, in the 1990s, resumed the use of the palace for brief vacations.
Currently, the Palácio Rio Negro is a museum administered by IPHAN. It features an eclectic style and has a beautiful facade. However, inside, very little remains original, as each president who arrived wanted to change everything to suit their taste and follow the fashion – from furniture to decorations and accessories.
Matheus Araújo
Matheus Araújo is the founder and editor of Brazilian History. Born in Rio de Janeiro and holding a degree in Advertising and Marketing, his passion for history led him to enroll at the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro, where he is currently pursuing a degree in History Education.
