1. Home
  2. Brazil
  3. Rio de Janeiro
  4. History

Rio de Janeiro · History

From Portuguese Court to Empire: Rio as a Capital

For almost two centuries, Rio de Janeiro was the political centre of an entire world: capital of the viceroyalty, refuge of the Portuguese Court, heart of the Empire and later of the Republic. This route runs downhill from São Bento Monastery to Praça XV and ends at Praça Tiradentes, following the people who ruled, plotted and sometimes paid with their lives.

  • 6 stops
  • 2.4 km
  • 1 h 50 min
  • Free
Start with GPS Read about this stop 1
White colonial building of the Paço Imperial on Praça XV

The route

Stop by stop

  1. 1 São Bento MonasteryA plain façade hiding one of the most dazzling gilded interiors in Brazil.
  2. 2 Candelária ChurchA shipwreck vow, almost a century of building and a dome shipped piece by piece from Lisbon.
  3. 3 Old Cathedral (Antiga Sé)The church where two emperors were crowned and where the future Pedro I first met Leopoldina.
  4. 4 Paço Imperial and Praça XVFrom this long white house, a viceroyalty, a kingdom and an empire were governed.
  5. 5 Tiradentes PalaceWhere the jail that held Tiradentes once stood, a palace now honours him.
  6. 6 Praça TiradentesA square named after Tiradentes with a statue of Pedro I: two heroes who never met.

Loading the map…

Start with GPS

Guide mode

Walk it with GPS.

Open guide mode on your phone: you’ll see your position and the distance to each stop, and we’ll let you know when you arrive. Then read or listen.

Start with GPS

  1. Turn on your location

  2. Walk to the spot

  3. Check the photo and listen

What you’ll discover

From Portuguese Court to Empire: Rio as a Capital

A Court in the tropics

In 1808 the Portuguese royal family crossed the Atlantic and made Rio the only European capital outside Europe.

Churches that made emperors

Coronations, imperial weddings and royal baptisms in churches you can still walk into.

Tiradentes, from prisoner to icon

From the old jail where he awaited the gallows to the palace that now bears his name.

Keep exploring

More routes in Rio de Janeiro

Back to Rio de Janeiro
Mysteries & legendsWitches, Tunnels and a Saint on a Colonel's Pay MixedRio Highlights on Foot: From the Real Gabinete to Glória Hill

Itineraries

How many days do you have in Rio de Janeiro?

We’ve planned it day by day for you: which routes to walk and in what order, what else to see and where to eat.

1

Rio de Janeiro in 1 day

All three routes in one full day: the highlights, the history and the legends at dusk.

See the itinerary 2

Rio de Janeiro in 2 days

A gentler pace: the three routes over two days, plus extra sights and where to eat.

See the itinerary 3

Rio de Janeiro in 3 days

The city in depth: one route a day, extra museums and neighbourhoods, and a day for good food.

See the itinerary