The Portão Monumental stands out for its heavy, intricate ironwork, topped by the golden crown of the Brazilian Empire. It served as the grand entrance to the Quinta da Boa Vista, the private residence of the Portuguese royal family and…
São Cristóvão Imperial Gardens
This self-guided walk leads you through the romantic grounds of Quinta da Boa Vista, once the private estate of Brazil's imperial family, past its historic lake and caves.
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1. Portão Monumental da Quinta da Boa Vista
2. Templo de Apolo - Quinta da Boa Vista
The Templo de Apolo stands as a circular stone pavilion, its crown composed of twelve slender columns supporting a heavy roof. It arrived in Rio de Janeiro in nineteen oh six, a gift from the Belgian government to Brazil for the third…
3. Quinta Bandstand (Chinese Pagoda)
The Quinta Bandstand rises from the gardens as a cast-iron pagoda with distinctive, upturned eaves painted in bold red and gold. Originally commissioned by the Portuguese royal family, this structure arrived in Rio de Janeiro in pieces…
4. Statue of Pedro II
The bronze statue of Pedro the second stands in the heart of the old imperial grounds in Sao Cristovao, depicting the monarch in his mature years with his trademark full beard and heavy imperial robes. This monument marks the site where…
5. National Museum of Brazil
The National Museum of Brazil occupies the three-story Paço de São Cristóvão, a palace distinguished by its distinct neoclassical facade and two prominent flanking towers. Originally the residence of the Portuguese royal family and later…
6. Quinta da Boa Vista - Portão Horto Botânico
The wrought iron gate at the entrance to the Quinta da Boa Vista remains today as a heavy, ornate relic from the nineteenth century. It was a gift from the British government to the Emperor Dom Pedro the Second, commissioned in England and…