Quinta da Boa Vista

The Quinta da Boa Vista (English: Estate with the Good View) is a public park of great historical importance in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The park was part of the gardens of the São Cristóvão Palace, the residence of the Emperors of Brazil in the 19th century.

The building of the old palace hosts now the National Museum, with collections on natural history, ethnology and archaeology. The park is also the home of the Zoological Garden of Rio de Janeiro, with over 2000 species of animals.

The Quinta da Boa Vista is located in the São Cristóvão neighbourhood, in the North zone of Rio de Janeiro.

The Quinta today

The Quinta da Boa Vista is a very popular attraction for locals and also tourists. The fact that the North zone of Rio de Janeiro, where the Quinta is located, has very few public parks only contributes to its popularity. The main attractions are the park itself, with its green areas, centenary trees and lakes, as well as the National Museum and the Zoological Garden.

National Museum

Founded in 1818 by King John VI of Portugal, the National Museum was transferred to the old Imperial Palace of the Quinta in 1892. During its long history, its collections have been greatly expanded by acquisitions and donations, including by Emperor Pedro II, a great sponsor of the sciences. The collections include Astronomy (mostly meteorites), Palaeontology, Natural history, Ethnology (including many interesting works by Brazilian indigenous peoples) and Archaeology (mostly antiquities from ancient Egypt).

Much of the art collection displayed by the Museum still consists of what was gathered by the Emperor Pedro II himself. In this manner, it reflects 19th-century views of Anthropology, Archeology and sciences in general. Additionally, as is the case with the building, the collection is poorly preserved. It reflects the lack of public investment in education and sciences in Brazil and is in no way comparable to museums in the developed Western World.

Visitors can also see a few rooms of the ancient Palace with its original painted and stucco decoration, like the Throne Room, the Embassadors' Room and the room of Empress Teresa Cristina. These rooms still display a couple original pieces but are overall empty.

Zoological Garden

Zoological Garden entrance

The Zoo of Rio is perhaps the most popular attraction of the Quinta. It was inaugurated in 1945 under President Getúlio Vargas and is the oldest in Brazil. Among its over 2000 animals, the collections of Brazilian monkeys and birds are particularly important.

References

• Centro de Arquitetura e Urbanismo do Rio de Janeiro (2000). Guia da arquitetura colonial, neoclássica e romântica no Rio de Janeiro (in Portuguese). Rio de Janeiro: Casa da Palavra. ISBN 85-87220-25-X. OCLC 47727038. 

External links

• (in Portuguese) Website of the National Museum
• (in Portuguese) Website of the Rio Zoo