The National Museum is the oldest Brazilian museum, which is completing it’s 200 years of existence in 2018. Walls that keep as much history as those ones are rare. A history that itself with Brazil origins. The complex formed by the Museum and Quinta da Boa Vista have a clear representation of the dynamics working through the Brazilian history: the Eurocentric mark in our identity, the efforts put in creating a national recognition and the erasing process around the power disputes.
The area where now is located the São Cristóvão neighborhood used to be a Jesuit land until their expulsion in 1759. In 1808, newly arrived in Brazil, the Portuguese royal family established themselves in a property offered by a slave trader. For 80 years the palace of Quinta da Boa Vista was the center of the monarchial government. Even though owned residencies in Paquetá, Santa Cruz and Petrópolis, the official Imperial home was in São Cristóvão.
During the Republic first period there was no use for this building. On the interest of erasing any remaining affection to the monarchy they made an auction of D. Pedro II belongings. The castle have already been a soldiers lodgement and a public department, only in 1892 being designated to shelter historic objects from D. João VI collection, initiated in 1818. Since the decade of 50 it is tied to Universidade do Brasil – Brazil University – (now known as UFRJ). During the 90’s, caused by a budget cut, the collection that varies from prehistoric, mummies and indigenous weapons was on the verge of abandonment. Because of it’s importance to the national memoir and as scientific installation, lots of people defend the continuous maintenance of the National Museum.
Created in 1888 by Baron of Drummond the first Brazilian zoo was located in Vila Isabel. Facing monetary difficulties to maintain the enterprise, the baron stimulated a gamble which would become a big success in Rio de Janeiro: the “jogo do bicho” (game of animals), a daily lottery with sets of ten representing the animals. The idea ended up as a mark but wasn’t sufficient to save the zoo, closing it’s doors in the 40’s. In 1945, however, the city inaugurated the new zoo inside Quinta da Boa Vista, which had it’s glorious moments. In 1985 it was transformed in RIOZOO Foundation and have a new management since 2016.
As well as the palace, the green arear that surrounds it have had countless modifications through it’s existence. The colossal gate inspired in the London Syon House portico, given as wedding gift to D. Pedro I and Leopoldina, still garnish the zoo entrance nowadays. During D. Pedro II reign the gardens were embellished by Auguste François-Marie Glaziou and access was given to the general population on Sundays. By this time (1868 – 1872) the Sapucaias Promenade, the Paddleboats Lake and the Artificial Grot were constructed. The Chinese Joss-House and the Rooftop Garden were built in an Italian style on the patio facing the palace on the beginning of 20th century.
The Bendegó Meteor is the biggest one in Brazil until now, composed of mainly iron and nickel. It weights 5,36 tons and is 2,15m x 1,5m x 65cm large. The rock kind of resembles a saddle given it’s flattened shape. The meteor felt in Bahia’s countryside and was discovered in the middle of 18th century. After a failed attempt to transport it to Portugal, the meteor felt on Bendegó river where it remained for 100 years, until being removed and transported in 1888 to the museum, by the time located in Campo de Santana.
The gigantic sloth fossils and a saber-tooth tiger from the National Museum estate have over 12 thousand years. The Titanosaurus was discovered in Prata, Minas Gerais, and is an osseous reconstruction, being the first large stature dinosaur exposed in the country.
On this field the big distinction is the oldest human skeleton found in Brazil. Popularly known as Luzia, it dates from 11,5 thousand years later and was found in 1975 in Lagoa Santa, Minas Gerais, an archeological site. The prehistoric cranium has brought new theories about the American continent occupation since it’s facial reconstruction in 1999.
Being the most prominent and ancient collection in South America , the Egypt section contains 700 funerary objects. It started to be formed in 1826, when D. Pedro I acquired a good sort of objects in an auction – probably deriving from Tebas necropolis. The other share was a personal gift from an Egyptian ruler to D. Pedro II. Beyond the casket there are other three mummies of adults, 2 children and embalmed parts of human bodies – one of them considered a rarity because of the technique used in separated members.
A great portion of the greek-roman collection of the Empress Tereza Cristina originates from Pompeii and Herculaneum, both destroyed in 79 a.C by the eruption of Mont Vesuvius. The exposition brings copper, terracotta and glass objects, and fresco from the quotidian of the region inhabitants: dressing room pieces, copper and glass jars, phallic amulets and amphoras for wine consume, the most popular drink among romans.
Among the museum collections there are representations of animals, plants and music instruments produced by the Andean people Mochica, Chimu, Nasca, Chankay and Incan. The Andean mummies distinguish themselves from the Egyptians, as in the case of Aymara, the mummified boy and the body found in Chiu-Chiu at the Atacama desert (Chile). And the one with the head elaborated by the Jivaroan, a group that once lived in equatorial Amazon.
From the imperial period, this room still maintains the original painting and tries to recreate the palace as it used to be before the royal family expulsion. The residence was divided in 3 floors: the first one designated to general services and receptions; the second floor was more adorned and was used to receive the visitors; and the third sheltered private areas and dormitories. After the reformation in 1910 many rooms were changed, a continuous project until now.
On the ethnology room it is kept exposed articles of a plurality of groups around the Brazilian territory. There are objects of basketry, ceramics, weapons and traps, their music instruments and their art. The collection shows the richness of indigene culture and their dialogues with other collectives whom they integrated in different historical contexts.
The exchange was good to D. Pedro II, an scholar of ancient Egyptian culture. During his second trip to the pharaoh’s lands, between 1876 and 1877, the Emperor gave to the Egyptian ruler a work about Brazil and received a sealed casket as a gift. Inside the colorful wood coffin there was the priestess-singer Sha-amun-em-su, a name that means “Amon’s green camps”. She died in her 50s around 750b.C. The coffin remained inside the monarch’s cabinet until 1889. It is told that he even talked to the casket. After the Republic proclamation the mummy was incorporated to the Museum’s collection.
A secret path connecting the old São Cristóvão palace to the mansion built to the mistress of D. Pedro I does part of the popular imaginary and lovers of Domitila and Pedro I’s affair. Not only he kept his lover a minor distance from his own house but the emperor would have constructed a tunnel to make his way to the marchioness home. Is it true? There are signs of underground passages on both sides. The most reasonable explanation is that they were used to access both kitchens, built in outbuildings to avoid a conflagration.
Quinta de São Cristóvão Imperial Palace is not it’s original name. It have already been called São Cristóvão Royal Palace (1803 – 1809), Royal Palace (1810 – 1821), Imperial Palace (1822 – 1889) and, since the Republic instauration it is known as São Cristóvão Palace. The museum, although, was created in 181 by D. João VI and transferred from Campo de Santana in 1892, after the director Landislau Netto insisted, in an attempt to preserve the existence of the patrimony. The architectonic complex became protected by the government after Iphan gave the order in 1938.
The exposition about Brazilian corals inaugurated the National Museum bicentenary celebration. It shows samples of the country reef fauna, among them the skeleton of centenary Mussismilia braziliensis coral colony, collected during the expedition of Canadian naturalist Charles Hartt, between 1865 amd 1976 in Bahia. A specimen of Mero fish (Epiniphelus itajara), taxidermically conserved, having over two meters in length draws the attention to the endangered species. The expedition is open to the public until May 2019, from Tuesday to Sunday, between 10:00 and 16:00. R$ 8,00 or for free every second Sunday of each month.
Museu Nacional
Quinta da Boa Vista, s/nº, São Cristóvão.