Petropolis, state Rio de Janeiro

Петрополис, штат Рио См. Фото-галерею

Nestled among the forested hills of the Serra dos Órgãos, in the valley of the Quitandinha and Piabanha rivers, Petrópolis is a popular summer holiday spot. Besides the climate and surroundings, the main attraction is the former Summer Palace of the second Brazilian Emperor, which is now a museum, specializing in Imperial history and memorabilia.

Petrópolis is home to the National Laboratory for Scientific Computing (LNCC), a research unit of the Ministry of Science and Technology of the Brazilian Federal Government.

History

The town's name ("city of Peter") honors Emperor Pedro II, the nation's second monarch. The city was the summer residence of the Brazilian Emperors and aristocrats in the 19th century, and was the official capital of the state of Rio de Janeiro between 1894 and 1903.

The town's origins can be traced to Bernardo Soares de Proença, who in 1720 opened an alternative route between Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais, across the Serra da Estrela. While traveling to Minas Gerais along this route, Emperor Pedro I found the region's climate pleasant, so in 1830 he bought a farm, and had his Summer Palace built there, but he never saw it finished, since he stepped down from the trone. Other Brazilian aristocrats eventually followed suit.

Under his successor Pedro II, German farmers from the Rhineland were encouraged to immigrate and to settle on the Emperor's outlying lands, to help give the Palace a charming urban setting. The settlement of Petrópolis was founded on March 16, 1843, being promoted to district in 1844 and finally city in 1857. The road connecting the city to Rio de Janeiro was opened in 1910 and paved in 1928.

On a visit at the Philadelphia Exposition of 1876, Pedro II was impressed by Alexander Graham Bell's new telephone, and had a line installed between the Summer Palace and the farm headquarters. Even after the establishment of the Republic and the exile of the Imperial family in 1889, the city continued to play a significant role in Brazilian history.