Palácio dos Cedros, Historic event palace in Ipiranga, Brazil

Palácio dos Cedros is a 1922 mansion at Rua Bom Pastor 800, Ipiranga, designed by engineer Heribaldo Siciliano on a 14,000 m² plot facing the Museu do Ipiranga. Its more than 50 rooms over four floors are reached by a Carrara marble staircase, with Baroque columns, capitals and arches, and two Art Nouveau stained-glass windows lighting the interior. A second house, the Palacete Violeta, was built on the grounds in 1934.

The building was created in 1922 under engineer Heribaldo Siciliano and was later home to the Jafet family. It was eventually converted into an event center while keeping its historical structures intact.

The name comes from the cedar trees in the garden, vegetation native to Lebanon, the Jafets' country of origin. The family's Lebanese roots are also recalled in the mix of Oriental, Baroque and classical details. In 1954 President Camille Chamoun of Lebanon and his wife Zehfa visited the mansion.

The property sits at Rua Bom Pastor 800, in Ipiranga, directly facing the Museu do Ipiranga, and the grounds cover 14,000 square metres, so allow time to walk between the main palace and the Palacete Violeta. The house is a private events venue, so visits depend on the programme of weddings, debutante parties and corporate events; check access before travelling.

A special section was designed in 1934 with mirrored halls and dining rooms that echoed a German palace. This detail shows how European architecture and aesthetics flowed into the property.