Every year, the Ipiranga Museum receives thousands of tourists and is one of the most visited cultural spaces in São Paulo. Built at the end of the 19th century, it is also the oldest museum in the city, with a historical collection of inestimable relevance to the São Paulo capital. Find out five interesting facts about it below!
1. You can easily buy tickets online, with no extra fees
If you like to plan ahead, you can book your visit to the Ipiranga Museum in advance online. Tickets are available on the Fever platform with no additional fees, meaning you pay exactly the same as you would at the physical box office. And skip the line!
2. You can visit for free (under certain conditions)
As usual, admission to the Ipiranga Museum costs R$15 (half price) or R$30 (full price). However, it is possible to visit it free of charge! Access is free for everyone on Wednesdays and the first Sundays of each month, as well as on the anniversaries of São Paulo (January 25) and the Independence of Brazil (September 7).
In addition, some specific audiences can enter for free on any day. They are:
- Children under the age of 6;
- USP community (civil servants, teachers and students);
- Civil, Military and Technical-Scientific police officers from the state of São Paulo and their families;
- Accredited tour guides;
- Members of ICOM (International Council of Museums).
3. The Ipiranga Museum was never home to members of the Royal Family
Unlike many palaces around the world, the Ipiranga Museum was never the seat of government or the home of rulers. This is because its construction had a different purpose: to serve as a monument to Brazil’s political break with Portugal, made by Dom Pedro I in 1822.
Since that time, there had been discussions about building a monument to commemorate the date. However, the project only came to fruition in 1885, on the orders of the then Emperor Dom Pedro II.
A curious fact is that, with the Proclamation of the Republic in 1889, the royal family was exiled to Europe – six years before the Palace was inaugurated, which was only on September 7, 1895. In other words, despite commissioning the monument, Dom Pedro II (and no other living member of the royal family) ever saw the Ipiranga Palace.
4. Monument used as a “resting place” for Dom Pedro I
Did you notice that, in the previous topic, we said that no living member of the royal family ever visited the Ipiranga Museum? This is because, in 1953, the remains of Dom Pedro I came to rest in Independence Park, which houses the palace.
The Imperial Crypt is under the Independence Monument, which was built in 1922 in celebration of the centenary of the break with Portugal. As well as Dom Pedro I, the space also houses the remains of his two wives, Empresses D. Leopoldina of Habsburg and D. Amelia of Leuchtenberg. Amelia of Leuchtenberg.
The space was once available to the public, but is currently closed to visitors.
5. In the beginning, the Ipiranga Museum was “in the middle of nowhere”
The Ipiranga Museum was built near the Ipiranga stream, where Dom Pedro I proclaimed Brazil’s independence. Despite all the symbolism of the site, at the time of its construction, the choice was daring and even contested.
In the 19th century, the Ipiranga region was very little explored, being very far from the urban centers. It was almost the “end of the world”, with no paved roads or resources nearby. As such, the project was quite challenging and audacious for the time.
Fortunately, the construction team – led by Italian architect Tommaso Gaudenzio Bezzi – was undeterred by the obstacles, giving us today one of the most important museums in São Paulo!
6. Its gardens were inspired by the Palace of Versailles
Every self-respecting palace is always accompanied by beautiful gardens! Of course, the Ipiranga Museum would be no different. The gardens of Independence Park were designed in the early 1900s by the Belgian landscaper Arsenio Puttemans, at the request of the São Paulo government.
To create the beautiful green corridors of Ipiranga, Puttemans used the neoclassical style of Frenchman André Le Nôtre as inspiration. He was responsible for the gardens of the Palace of Versailles in France!
So we can say that we have a French garden right here in São Paulo.
How to visit the Ipiranga Museum?
The Ipiranga Museum is located at Rua dos Patriotas, 100, in Parque da Independência, in São Paulo’s South Zone. Tickets are available at this link and visiting hours are from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10am to 5pm (but remember that the last entrance is at 4pm!).
For more information, just visit the Ipiranga Museum’s website or its social networks.
