Quinta da Boa Vista
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Constructed in 1803 by local aristocrat Elias Antônio Lopes, the original Quinta da Boa Vista was home to the Brazilian imperial family for much of the nineteenth century.
Site History and Significance
Constructed in 1803 by local aristocrat Elias Antônio Lopes, the original Quinta da Boa Vista was home to the Brazilian imperial family for much of the nineteenth century. The last emperor of Brazil, Dom Pedro II, and his wife, Leopoldina, lived there until the monarchy was overthrown in 1889. The villa now houses the collections of the National Museum. Its interiors reflect the changing tastes of members of the imperial family, including Empress Leopoldina, whose private quarters in the south wing of the palace have elaborate molded plaster-work and painted decoration. The imposing neoclassical building is surrounded by elaborately landscaped grounds. The museum houses the most important natural history, archaeology, and ethnology collections in Brazil.
In 2006, through an American Express grant, WMF supported conservation work on the living room and oratory of Empress Thereza Christina.
Click on the image block to read more about our work at this site.