Palacete Veridiana da Silva Prado, Heritage mansion in Higienópolis, São Paulo, Brazil

The Palacete Veridiana da Silva Prado is a French-style mansion on Avenida Higienópolis, built between 1883 and 1884 with plans and part of the materials brought from Europe under Luiz Liberal Pinto. It has three floors plus a basement, from kitchen and wine cellar below to reception rooms, library and winter garden above. Its 5,000 square metres of gardens, designed by French landscaper Glaziou, hold carp ponds and fountains.

Veridiana da Silva Prado bought the chácara in 1879 and named it Vila Maria after her companion Maria das Dores. The French-style palacete was built between 1883 and 1884 with plans and materials brought from Europe under Luiz Liberal Pinto. In 1887 it received Emperor D. Pedro II on his last visit to São Paulo, and in 2001 Conpresp listed the building and its integrated artworks.

The estate was named Vila Maria by Veridiana da Silva Prado after her companion Maria das Dores, and the mansion's gardens were opened to neighbourhood residents, as Laura Oliveira Rodrigo Octávio and Candido Motta Filho recalled. Its salons hosted scientists Orville Derby and Loefgreen and physicians Cesário Motta Júnior and Diogo de Faria; Emperor Pedro II visited in 1887.

The property functions as a venue for events and is typically open to visitors only during special occasions or organized tours. It is advisable to check in advance about current opening times and access possibilities, as visitor admission may be restricted.

The 2001 Conpresp listing covered not only the building but also the artworks built into it: the painting 'Aurora' by Almeida Júnior and the marble sculpture 'Diana' by Victor Brecheret. A stained-glass window shows the crest 'Leão dos Ramalhos', designed by Guilherme de Almeida, a detail easy to miss.