The Catete Palace and the remains of its times: a virtual investigation

The Catete Palace was built as an aristocratic house, was the seat of the Presidency of the Republic and is currently home to the Museum of the Republic. Inside there are many traces of these three periods.

When you enter the Palace, you see the arms of the Republic on the ceiling. Scroll down and you'll see a remnant of the Palace's original decoration: a mosaic with an eagle, the symbol of the coat of arms of the Palace's builder, the Baron of Nova Friburgo.

The building was built by Antônio Clemente Pinto, the Baron of Nova Friburgo, between 1858 and 1867, to serve as his residence in the capital of the Empire. This room tells the story of the builders, heir

Located on the first floor, after the staircase, this hall has had various uses throughout history. But it has always been a place of business, whether for the baron or the presidency.

On ceiling, there is an original painting of the palace, "Bacchus and Ariadne". On the walls, there are two paintings, "Pátria", by Pedro Bruno and "Compromisso Constitucional", by Aurélio Figueiredo.

The entire structure is an original vestige of the Palace. Imported from Prussia, now Germany, it was assembled by its designer, Otto Henkel, on site. During the Republic, "climbing the Catete staircase" was the equivalent of "climbing the Planalto ramp"

Hidden in the rich decoration, there is a vestige from the time of the empire that was not erased by the republic: the imperial armillary sphere and an eagle, the symbol of the Baron of Nova Friburgo.

In the Baron's time, it was a place of worship, with famous weddings at the time. During the presidency, it was mainly a reception room. President Afonso Pena was mourned here. There are original paintings of the building on the ceiling.

Also known as the French Hall, it is one of the rooms with the most republican changes. Its decoration, redone at the beginning of the 20th century. Highlights include the Louis XVI-style furniture and the vase of Napoleon Bonaparte

The Coat of Arms of the Republic has been placed above the doors. On the ceiling, a painting from 1937 has replaced the original. But on the walls, there is still much from the Baron's time, which can be seen in this exhibition.

Next to the Great Hall, the decoration of this area is inspired by the archaeological discoveries of Pompeii, the Roman city destroyed by the volcano Vesuvius.

The ceiling of the Hall was modified to reflect the Republic. In addition to the coats of arms, important dates were inscribed: May 13, 1888; September 7, 1822; November 15, 1889 and the mysterious April 21, 1500.

Hall decorated with inspiration from the palaces of Venice. The ceiling features representations of the virtues. A republican legacy for the decoration of the room is the four-handed painting on the wall by Décio Villares and Antônio Parreiras.

Hall decorated with inspiration from the Alhambra palace in Spain. It has received almost no interference from the Republic, the only relevant one being the statue of "The African" near the windows.

On the ceiling, there is a replica of the painting "Diana Hunting" by Domenichino. The cabinet was commissioned in France by the Baron. The last meeting of the second Vargas government took place at this large table.