In the early nineteenth century, Largo do Carmo was Rio de Janeiro's point of contact with the world. Even though urban expansion, since the eighteenth century, had drawn attention toward the south of the city, centrality remained around the square, which, over time, gained new buildings and saw its landscape transform.
The new buildings highlighted the architectural changes Rio was undergoing. European airs entered through the port along with the ships that came and went, and spread throughout the urban complex.
Image description: This is a black-and-white engraving depicting Largo do Carmo (Praça XV) in Rio de Janeiro. On the left side, we see a ship in the distance, behind a building with several windows and a sloped roof. In front of this building, there are stalls and an open area with people walking and working. In the center, a large building with a sloped roof and regularly spaced windows. On the right, there are lower structures and a facade with balconies. On the ground, we see carriages pulled by horses and people carrying cargo. At the top of the image, "RIO DE JANEIRO" is written, and at the bottom, "ALFANDEGA."Customs House, 1856. Engraving by Pieter Gotfred Bertichen. Brasiliana Itaú Collection.
The French artistic mission, which arrived in 1816, soon stamped the neoclassical style onto the city's architecture: in 1820 the Praça do Comércio building, the first project by architect Grandjean de Montigny in Rio, was inaugurated (in 1824 the building became the Customs House headquarters) and, in the 1830s, the construction of the Hotel Pharoux, with its famous French cuisine restaurant, marked the beginning of the presence of foreign and luxury hotels in the city.
Image description: This is a black-and-white illustration depicting a hotel called "Hotel Pharoux." The image shows a three-story building located on a square. On the left side, we see part of the building with balconies and open windows. On the right, the main building has the hotel's name written in large, prominent letters. Below the name is the text "Banhos Bains Baths," indicating bathing services. In front of the hotel, people are walking and a dog is lying on the ground.Hotel Pharoux, painting by Sebastien Auguste Sisson. MHCRJ Collection - Museu Histórico da Cidade do Rio de Janeiro. Website História do Rio para todos
Among the changes to the landscape of Largo do Carmo that contributed to its
status
At the heart of Rio's urban life are the renovations of the Paço dos Vice-reis, which, after the arrival of the Portuguese Court in 1808, was elevated to Paço Real and became the first residence of D. João VI in Rio de Janeiro.
The building that housed the Palace of the Governors (1743-1763) and of the Viceroys (1763-1808) underwent countless modifications to receive the Royal Family: inside, the Throne Room was built, and outside, an overpass was erected that eased the passage between the royal residences, linking the Palace to the Convento do Carmo, where Queen D. Maria I lived. The balcony of the main façade became the great stage for public ceremonies: it was from there, for example, that D. João VI first appeared in public after his coronation; that his son D. Pedro I declared his intention to remain in Brazil in January 1822, in what became known as the "Dia do Fico"; and that D. Pedro II was acclaimed emperor (1831). Unfortunately, the balcony ended up being demolished in the second half of the 19th century.
With Brazil's independence in 1822, the building became the Paço Imperial. In 1824, the German officer Carl Schlichthorst recorded his impressions of the building:
O Paço Imperial não difere muito dos outros edifícios da cidade. Seu interior não é deslumbrante e há centenas de casas particulares melhor alfaiatadas. Mas sua posição transforma-o num palácio de fadas. Por todos os lados o ar refrescante do mar penetra nos altos aposentos abobadados. A seus pés se estende uma praça limitada por um cais onde durante horas se observa o colorido formigar da multidão
Schlichthorst, "Rio de Janeiro as It Is," p. 46)
The admiration of the German officer points to the theatricality of the ensemble established in Largo do Carmo, starring the Paço Imperial framed by the presence of nature.
Image description: The image is a black-and-white engraving. It shows an imperial palace in Rio de Janeiro, with a large central façade and side wings. To the left, there is a lower, simpler building. In the background, there is a hill with smaller structures. In front of the palace, people are walking and horses are standing still. In the center, there is a four-wheeled carriage pulled by horses. The inscription "PAÇO IMPERIAL" appears at the bottom of the image.Paço Imperial, 1856. Engraving by Pieter Gotfred Bertichen. Brasiliana Itaú Collection.
The Proclamation of the Republic, in 1889, stripped the Paço of its role as the stage and setting for major decisions and public ceremonies, in an effort to replace the symbols of the monarchy with others, in keeping with the ideals of the Republic under construction.
