Our South America Adventure - Day 13 Petropolis

Today we left Rio to visit the nearby city of Petropolis. Petropolis is located in the hills/mountains outside of Rio. It takes about an hour to drive there. 

Copacabana views from our hotel room this morning

We weren't entirely sure of what to expect when we signed up to tour Petropolis. Our tour company recommended it and told us it would provide a good opportunity to learn some Brazilian history. The name Petropolis evoked in our minds images of Roman ruins, even though we knew this would not be the case. On our way, Marcelo gave us a crash history lesson so that we would have the right context for the sites we would visit today. We talked about the Portuguese arrival in Brazil and colonization. We also discussed Brazil's history with slavery. Brazil imported more slaves than any other country in the Americas - 40% of enslaved Africans who were brought to the "New World" ended up in Brazil. Much like the USA, they are struggling with the effects of slavery. We also discussed the period when the Portuguese Royal family established an exile government in Rio de Janeiro to escape the Napoleonic Wars. This led directly to Brazilian independence and the creation of the Empire of Brazil, which effectively meant Brazil was no longer a colony but was still ruled by a branch of the Portuguese Royal family. So not all that much changed. The Emperors Dom Pedro I and his son Dom Pedro II were responsible for acquiring the land and building the city that is Petropolis,  also known as The Imperial City.

Our first stop in the city was at the German House. It is a coffee shop that looks like it was transported straight from Bavaria. One of the quirky things about Petropolis is that there was tons of German influence. When Dom Pedro II was building his summer palace here, he needed workers and hired many German immigrants to help build out the city. As a result, many buildings have a distinctly German appearance. Marcelo told us we had to stop at this coffee shop because they had the best cappuccino he has ever tasted and he was not wrong. The cappuccino sprinkled with cinnamon was really incredible. Alison and I also shared a very lovely croquette. This was a nice first stop. 

Our next stop was the Palácio Quitandinha. This was a former luxury hotel/casino in Petropolis. This place was built with a lot of German influence. A few years after it was built, gambling was outlawed in Brazil. It turns out this place was too fancy to make it just a luxury hotel. Today it has been converted into apartments/condos, but the main floor has been purchased by the Brazilian government and restored to its original state. It was interesting to see this building as it would have been - there are echoes of the golden age of Hollywood in its design. 

In its heyday, this kitchen would produce 10,000 meals a night

Our next stop was the Imperial Museum. The museum is housed in the former summer palace of Dom Pedro II. This museum displays period furnishings from the 19th century. It gives you a glimpse into how Dom Pedro II and his family would have lived. Dom Pedro II is an interesting individual. He is beloved by many Brazilians. His image is as a philosopher-type Emporer. His real passion seemed to be for education, if it was up to him, he may not have been Emporer. He was eventually forced out of power and exiled from Brazil, largely because he supported policies that were not popular among the elites - abolition of slavery, etc. Marcelo liked to point out that while many of the trappings of the house were quite nice, they didn't have the over-the-top level of opulence you might expect from an emperor's palace. I agreed with this assessment. One of the more interesting items on display was the crown of the emperor - it was quite impressive. They also had the document Princess Isabel (daughter of Dom Pedro II) signed to end slavery in Brazil. That's pretty cool to see. 

After the museum, we walked to the nearby São Pedro de Alcântara Cathedral. This is a large cathedral in the center of town. There is beautiful stained glass throughout the cathedral. It also houses the mausoleum of Emporer Dom Pedro II and his wife and their daughter Princess Isabel. Due to their exile, they were initially buried elsewhere, but the people of Petropolis petitioned and had their remains returned to the city. Their family is quite beloved here. 

After visiting the Cathedral we began walking around Petropolis. Marcelo loves to give this tour because Petropolis is a beautiful city and is really walkable. They have a law protecting the exteriors of historic buildings. As a result, there are all of these old buildings have new uses - schools, doctors' offices, businesses, and private residences - but the exteriors have been maintained. It creates a really interesting aesthetic. 

We went to lunch at a local brewery - the German influence is really strong here. We were able to get a nice Brazilian meal - beef with rice, peppers, and farofa. It was delicious. 

After lunch, we visited the House of 7 Errors. This house earned its name because of the asymmetrical design of the exterior. Locals began to treat it like one of those puzzles where you have to identify the differences between similar pictures. While the outside was asymmetrical the inside was quite symmetrical and each room was designed with great care. We took a tour of the house and learned about the design of each room. Our favorite was probably the dining room, which was made out of Ipe - a Brazilian hardwood with a rich dark hue that can last forever. This was an interesting stop and was definitely off of the beaten path. 

To make this room symmetrical they have a door that literally leads to nowhere.

On our way out of town, we stopped at a chocolate shop. Petropolis has a thriving local chocolate industry. We bought a few bags of handmade chocolates to bring home and share with our family. With our chocolates in hand, we drove back to Rio de Janeiro. 

Tonight we decided to take a walk along Copacabana beach. It was a little windy and chilly, but it was good to be by the sand and the ocean. Not too many people were out and about tonight. We are planning to spend our whole day around Copacabana tomorrow.