RIO BRANCO PALACE

It's hard not to notice this large, white eclectic building. The "Palacio rio Branco" dates back to 1549, and was built on the orders of Tomé de Souza, Brazil's first Governor General and founder of the city of Salvador, Brazil's first capital from 1549 to 1763, to house the Governor's Palace, the center of Portuguese administration. Of modest construction, it was gradually enlarged and changed functions over the course of its history, becoming not only a prison, but also the residence of Dom Pedro II when the emperor visited Salvador in 1859... Towards the end of the ^19th century, the outdated colonial façade was completely renovated in a much more noble and imposing style, inspired by French neoclassical buildings. On January 10, 1912, the palace was one of the targets of the bombardment of Salvador by the then president of the republic, Hermes da Fonseca. The building was almost entirely destroyed, including a vast collection of rare books. It was immediately rebuilt, inaugurated by Governor Antônio Muniz Sodré de Aragão in 1919, and named Rio Branco in honour of José Maria da Silva Paranhos Júnior, Baron of Rio Branco. Subject to the ravages of time, the palace was renovated in 1984, and now houses the Fundação Cultural do Estado da Bahia and the "Memorial dos Governadores", which is open to visitors. The finely crafted furnishings and splendid views over the bay and lower town are well worth a visit.