Paço da Liberdade, Cultural centre in a former palace in Curitiba, Brazil

The Paço da Liberdade is a three-storey palace on Praça Generoso Marques in central Curitiba, built of brick masonry on concrete block and stone footing. Its pale beige facade carries a dark curved mansard roof with a small central dormer and finial, a stone balustrade balcony in front of three arched third-floor windows, and a glass and metal awning over the arched white double-door entrance. Sculpted figures sit between the ground and upper floors.

The Paço da Liberdade was built after Mayor Cândido de Abreu authorized construction in 1914 on the site of the old Municipal Market, demolished from 1912; the brick building on concrete and stone blocks was completed on 6 February 1916 and inaugurated on 24 February 1916. Mayor Omar Sabbag held his last office hours there on 13 November 1969, moving to the Palácio 29 de Março. The building housed the Museu Paranaense from 1974 to 2002 and reopened as a SESC cultural centre on 29 March 2009.

Since 2009 the Paço has been run by the SESC System (SESC, SENAC and Fecomércio) as a cultural centre, reopened on 29 March 2009 after a restoration coordinated by the Ippuc. Its name, Palace of Liberty, comes from Praça Generoso Marques, the square where it stands. Visitors today attend exhibitions, courses and concerts in the former council chambers.

The Paço da Liberdade stands on Praça Generoso Marques, in the centre of Curitiba, on the site of the old Municipal Market demolished in 1912. The building is closed to the public as a city hall since 13 November 1969, when Mayor Omar Sabbag moved offices to the Palácio 29 de Março; since 29 March 2009 it has been run by SESC as a cultural centre. Enter through the arched white double doors under the glass and metal canopy on the ground floor.

Archaeological discoveries during renovation work revealed remains of the original market that once occupied this site until 1914, before the palace was constructed. These findings show an earlier chapter of the location's past.