Catete Palace, Presidential residence in Catete, Brazil
Catete Palace is a former presidential residence in Rio de Janeiro featuring Neoclassical and eclectic design elements. The building stretches from Catete Street to Flamengo Beach, displaying a pink granite facade adorned with bronze eagles and white marble portals.
The building served as Brazil's presidential residence from 1897 to 1960 and witnessed major political events during this period. President Getulio Vargas died by suicide there in 1954, a moment that profoundly shaped the country's history.
The name Catete comes from the Caminho do Catete, the colonial road that linked the city centre to estates and forts to the south; the palace was first called Palácio Nova Friburgo and Palácio do Largo do Valdetaro. Since 1960 it has housed the Museu da República, and the former presidential rooms display furniture and objects from the republican period.
The building is easily reached by subway and is open daily except Mondays for visitors. Comfortable shoes are recommended since you will walk through multiple floors and rooms while exploring.
The colored glass skylight is in the stair hall, not the third floor. The staircase itself was prefabricated in cast-iron modules in Germany, one of the first such staircases used in Brazil. The central panel copies Raphael's frescoes from the Villa Farnesina in Rome.
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