Paço Imperial

The Empire of Brazil was a 19th-century state that broadly comprised the territories which form modern Brazil and Uruguay until the latter achieved independence in 1828. The empire's government was a representative parliamentary constitutional monarchy under the rule of Emperors Pedro I and his son Pedro II. A colony of the Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil became the seat of the Portuguese Empire in 1808, when the Portuguese Prince regent, later King Dom John VI, fled from Napoleon's invasion of Portugal and established himself and his government in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro. John VI later returned to Portugal, leaving his eldest son and heir-apparent, Pedro, to rule the Kingdom of Brazil as regent. On 7 September 1822, Pedro declared the independence of Brazil and, after waging a successful war against his father's kingdom, was acclaimed on 12 October as Pedro I, the first Emperor of Brazil. The new country was huge, sparsely populated, and ethnically diverse. Unlike most of the neighboring Hispanic American republics, Brazil had political stability, vibrant economic growth, constitutionally guaranteed freedom of speech, and respect for civil rights of its subjects, albeit with legal restrictions on women and slaves, the latter regarded as property and not citizens. The Empire's bicameral parliament was elected under comparatively democratic methods for the era, as were the provincial and local legislatures. This led to a long ideological conflict between Pedro I and a sizable parliamentary faction over the role of the monarch in the government. He also had to face other obstacles. The unsuccessful Cisplatine War against the neighboring United Provinces of the Río de la Plata in 1828 led to the secession of the province of Cisplatina (later to become Uruguay). In 1826, despite his role in Brazilian independence, he became the king of Portugal; he abdicated the Portuguese throne in favor of Maria, his eldest daughter. Two years later, she was usurped by Pedro I's younger brother Miguel. Unable to deal with both Brazilian and Portuguese affairs, Pedro I abdicated his Brazilian throne on 7 April 1831 and immediately departed for Europe to restore his daughter to the Portuguese throne. Pedro I's successor in Brazil was his five-year-old son, Pedro II. As the latter was still a minor, a weak regency was created. The power vacuum resulting from the absence of a ruling monarch as the ultimate arbiter in political disputes led to regional civil wars between local factions. Having inherited an empire on the verge of disintegration, Pedro II, once he was legally declared of age, managed to bring peace and stability to the country, which eventually became an emerging international power. Brazil was victorious in three international conflicts (the Platine War, the Uruguayan War, and the Paraguayan War) under Pedro II's rule, and the Empire prevailed in several other international disputes and outbreaks of domestic strife. With prosperity and economic development came an influx of European immigration, including Protestants and Jews, although Brazil remained mostly Catholic. Slavery, which had initially been widespread, was restricted by successive legislation until its final abolition in 1888. Brazilian visual arts, literature and theater developed during this time of progress. Although heavily influenced by European styles that ranged from Neoclassicism to Romanticism, each concept was adapted to create a culture that was uniquely Brazilian. Even though the last four decades of Pedro II's reign were marked by continuous internal peace and economic prosperity, he had no desire to see the monarchy survive beyond his lifetime and made no effort to maintain support for the institution. The next in line to the throne was his daughter Isabel, but neither Pedro II nor the ruling classes considered a female monarch acceptable. Lacking any viable heir, the Empire's political leaders saw no reason to defend the monarchy. After a 58-year reign, on 15 November 1889 the Emperor was overthrown in a sudden coup d'état led by a clique of military leaders whose goal was the formation of a republic headed by a dictator, forming the First Brazilian Republic.

The Tiradentes Palace (Portuguese: Palácio Tiradentes), was inaugurated on 6 May 1926 and is located in the Centro neighborhood (bairro), next to the Paço Imperial in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It was the former seat of the Chamber of Deputies of Brazil, between 1926 and 1960, and is the current seat of the Legislative Assembly of the State of Rio de Janeiro.

The Legislative Assembly of Rio de Janeiro (Portuguese: Assembleia Legislativa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro or ALERJ) is the unicameral legislature of Rio de Janeiro, a state in Brazil. It has 70 state deputies elected by proportional representation. After the 1834 Additional Act, the Provincial Assembly was founded in the city of Vila Real de Praia Grande (now Niterói), after the unification of the states of Guanabara and Rio de Janeiro on March 15, 1975 the assembly was moved to Palácio Tiradentes in the city of Rio de Janeiro (site of the Chamber of Deputies of Brazil until 1960).

The Old Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, (Portuguese full name: Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Monte do Carmo da antiga Sé, literally Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel of the Ancient See) is an old Carmelite church which served as cathedral (Sé) of Rio de Janeiro from around 1808 until 1976. During the 19th century, it was also used successively as Royal and Imperial Chapel by the Portuguese Royal Family and the Brazilian Imperial Family, respectively. It is located in the Praça XV square, in downtown Rio. It is one of the most important historical buildings in the city.

The Praça XV de Novembro, (English: 15 November Square) is a public square in the Centro section of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Riachuelo (S22) was an Oberon-class submarine in the Brazilian Navy.

USS McAnn (DE-179) was a Cannon-class destroyer escort built for the United States Navy during World War II. She served in the Atlantic Ocean and provided escort service against submarine and air attack for Navy vessels and convoys. As Bauru she is preserved by the Brazilian Navy at Rio de Janeiro.

Zona Central (Central Region) is the historical, administrative, and financial centre of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It has been undergoing a major revitalisation since it was rediscovered by locals in the 1990s.

The Avenida Rio Branco, formerly Avenida Central, is a major road in Rio de Janeiro. It was built as the leading brand of the urban reform carried out by the mayor Pereira Passos in early 20th century.It is one of the main thoroughfares of the city, being the scene of many important events.

The Banco do Brasil Cultural Center (Portuguese: Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil) in Rio de Janeiro, also known as CCBB Rio de Janeiro or CCBB RJ, is located on Primeiro de Março Street, opposite Largo da Candelária, in the Central Zone of the city, and has a built-up area of 19,243 square meters. It belongs to a complex of cultural spaces managed and maintained by Banco do Brasil.According to a survey published by The Art Newspaper in April 2014, the CCBB RJ was considered the 21st most visited art museum in the world, attracting a total of 2,034,397 visitors in 2013. According to the same portal, the exhibition Picasso and Spanish Modernity, held at the cultural center, was considered the most visited post-impressionist and modern exhibition in the world in 2015.

The Candelária massacre (Portuguese: chacina da Candelária [ʃɐˈsĩnɐ ðɐ kɐ̃deˈlaɾjɐ]) was a mass killing in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 23, 1993. During the night, eight homeless people, including six minors, were killed by a group of men beside the Candelária Church. Several of the men were members of the police and were tried for the killings, but only two were convicted.

The Candelária Church (Portuguese: Igreja da Candelária, pronounced [iˈgɾeʒɐ ðɐ kɐ̃deˈlaɾjɐ]) is an important historical Roman Catholic church in the city of Rio de Janeiro, in southeastern Brazil. It was built and decorated during a long period, from 1775 to the late 19th century. The church combines a Portuguese colonial Baroque façade with later Neoclassical and Neo-Renaissance interior elements.