The Historical site
Located in Parque da Independencia, the Ipiranga Museum, also known as Museu Paulista, is the oldest public museum in the city of São Paulo. The museum was built in a place of great historical importance for Brazil, it was there, on the banks of the Ipiranga River that Dom Pedro I proclaimed Brazil’s independence from Portugal, on September 7, 1822.
In this important historical site, the Italian architect and engineer Tommaso Gaudenzio Bezzi was responsible for the building that would be a monument to the Independence of Brazil, whose construction took place between 1885 and 1890. However, the Ipiranga Museum was only officially opened on September 7 from 1895.
A curiosity about the building: with its monumental scale, eclectic architecture, and an imposing French garden, the complex that looks like a palace still confuses some unsuspecting people who think that Dom Pedro I, some monarch or president lived there, but this It’s just a mistake.
Independência ou Morte ( Independence or Death)
In the collection of the Ipiranga Museum, there are mainly objects, furniture and works of art of historical relevance. One of the best-known and most visited works is the painting “Independencia ou Morte”, painted by Pedro Americo in 1888.
The painting depicts an epic scene from the moment when Dom Pedro I declares Brazil’s independence. However, today it is known that the scene in the painting is an idealized representation of the artist.
Renovation work
In August 2013, the Ipiranga Museum was closed after problems were found in its structure. In 2019, after a delay in resolving bureaucratic procedures, renovation work to restore and modernize the building began. The reopening of the museum took place in celebration of the Bicentenary of Brazilian Independence, on September 7, 2022.