Cultural Tours – City Tour: Historic Tour through downtown Rio with Catete Palace
A tour designed for visiting the historical heritage of Rio de Janeiro culture. The tour goes through the center of Rio, focusing on the buildings, neighborhoods, squares, and places that were part of the history of this city, from its beginnings as a Portuguese colony until it became the Capital of Brazil. The tour includes the wonderful Palace of Nova Friburgo, currently known as Palace of Catete, built between 1858 and 1867 by a wealthy merchant owner of Coffee Estates, Antonio Clemente Pinto, Baron of Nova Friburgo, considered today a monument of extreme historical, architectural, and artistic wealth. Built in Rio de Janeiro when it was still the Imperial Capital, this palace became the symbol of the economic power of the slaver coffee-growing elite of Brazil during the 1800s. With the death of its owners, this unique Palace inspired by Florentine Palaces became the residence of the President of the Republic, housing 18 presidents up until the capital moved to Brasilia in 1960, the year in which the palace became the Museum of the Republic.
The architectural and artistic wealth of the Palace is truly incredible, with its rooms decorated in different styles, imitating great European palaces, both in their construction materials and furnishings, ornaments, decorations and furniture, which lead visitors to compare this palace with the rooms of Versailles.
The Palace has 3 floors full of rooms and anterooms, meeting rooms, banquet rooms and parties that show the richness and sophistication of Imperial Brazil. The visit ends with a short walk through the Palace gardens with its imperial palms, a Brazilian native species among nurseries and artificial lakes