Tiradentes Palace

Right next to the Imperial Palace is the Tiradentes Palace. It’s the seat of the Legislative Assembly. Brazil is a federal republic, just like Australia, Germany, Switzerland, India and the United States. This basically means that each member state enjoys a great deal of autonomy, and has its own government. It is in this beautiful neoclassical building that the representatives of the State of Rio de Janeiro hold their meetings. Now, you must be wondering why the palace bears the name Tiradentes. Well, it’s actually named after Tiradentes, the national hero whose statue stands proudly at the entrance. Before 1922, when Rio was still the capital, there was another building here that served as the seat of the imperial parliament. And it was there in the Cadeia velha, the prison set up in the basement, that Tiradentes was imprisoned before being executed three years later. Prior to becoming a miner, a merchant and then a soldier, the man was originally a dentist, hence the nickname Tiradentes, meaning “the tooth puller”. You should know that he played a part in a popular uprising against the Portuguese colonialists; but his seperatist movement, known as Minas Gerais Conspiracy, met with failure, and he was subsequently captured. Despite his relatively minor role in the uprising, he alone took all the blame, thus exonerating his companions. 3 years later, Queen Maria I of Portugal, known as Maria the Mad because of her mental illness, was to decide the fate of Tiradentes and his fellow prisoners. All were sentenced to exile except Tiradentes, who was drawn and quartered to set an example. He became a martyr, still celebrated today by Samba schools, known for their lively performances in the Rio Carnival. The Tiradentes palace is open to the public free of charge. On the first floor, you’ll find a small exhibition tracing Brazil’s political history. As for the Legislative Assembly, it’s considering relocating to the new Cidade Nova district. Should this happen, the palace will house the Museum of Democracy. To be continued.