Palácio da Liberdade, Government palace in Belo Horizonte, Brazil

The Palácio da Liberdade is a government building in Belo Horizonte featuring three floors and eclectic architecture that blends Neoclassical and Art Nouveau styles. Its rooms are furnished with gilded bronze chandeliers, crystal lights, and ornate wall panels crafted with careful attention to detail.

The cornerstone was laid on 7 September 1895 and construction began on 25 November of that year; the palace opened in 1898, one year after Belo Horizonte itself. It was first called the Presidential Palace and housed both the state government and the governors' families, beginning with Crispim Jacques Bias Fortes. In 1920 it was redecorated for the visit of King Albert I and Queen Elisabeth of Belgium. Kubitschek was the last governor to live there before the Palácio das Mangabeiras was built in the 1950s.

The palace was first called Palácio Presidencial and only later received the name Palácio da Liberdade, tied to the square it faces. In 1920 it hosted King Albert I and Queen Elisabeth of Belgium, and the visit prompted redecoration of the palace and a formal French-garden redesign of Praça da Liberdade. Since 1978 it has been open to public visitation, and it now forms part of the Circuito Liberdade, hosting exhibitions, school groups and heritage education programs.

The palace and its gardens are accessible to visitors on several days each week without entrance fees. It helps to check the specific hours before your visit since these vary between weekdays and weekends.

In 1920 the palace and Praça da Liberdade were redecorated for the visit of King Albert I and Queen Elisabeth of Belgium, who stayed in the building. That work gave the square its formal French-garden layout, replacing the earlier planting scheme. The gardens were designed by Paul Villon.