Palácio Monroe

The Palácio Monroe (Portuguese for "Monroe Palace") was a historic building in the Centro neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It was named in honor of U.S. president James Monroe. It was originally built in the U.S. city of St. Louis to act as the Brazilian Pavilion during the 1904 World's Fair. After the World's Fair, the building was dismantled and transported in cargo ships to Rio de Janeiro, where it was rebuilt in 1906. From 1914 to 1920, the palace was used as the home of the Brazilian Congress and from 1925 to 1960 it was used as the home of the Brazilian Senate, when Rio de Janeiro was the capital of Brazil. It was demolished in 1976 on the order of the President of Brazil Ernesto Geisel, despite protests. The reason for the building's demolition was to build the Rio de Janeiro Metro. In 1979, the Cinelândia Station was opened as one of the first five stations of the new metro, on the site of the demolished palace.

Monroe Palace
Palácio Monroe  (Portuguese)
General information
Status	Demolished
Type	Brazilian Congress seat (1914–1920) Brazilian Senate seat (1925–1960)
Architectural style	Neoclassicism and Eclecticism
Address	Praça Mahatma Gandhi
Town or city	Rio de Janeiro
Country	Brazil
Coordinates	22°54′44.82″S 43°10′31.62″W
Inaugurated	1906
Demolished	March 1976
Owner	Brazilian government
Technical details
Floor area	1,700 m2 (18,000 sq ft)
Design and construction
Architect	Francisco Marcelino de Sousa Aguiar

Gallery

• 
  Palácio Monroe in 1910, during the funeral of the writer and politician Joaquim Nabuco.
• 
  Palácio Monroe in 1912.
• 
  Palácio Monroe on a postcard.
• 
  Interior of the Palácio Monroe, showing the Senate floor.
• 
  Demolition of the Palácio Monroe in 1976.
• 
  Plan of the 1st floor of the Palácio Monroe drawn in 1924, in the National Archives of Brazil.

Other websites

Media related to Palácio Monroe at Wikimedia Commons

• Palácio Monroe – Por que foi demolido? (Monroe Palace – Why was it demolished?) (in Portuguese)