Casa França-Brasil

The architectural space itself is a significant historical document: it’s the first record of neoclassical style in Rio de Janeiro, commissioned in 1819 by D. João VI and designed by Grandjean de Montigny, an architect from the French Artistic Mission. In 1984, the current purpose of Casa França-Brasil started to take shape when then-Secretary of Culture Darcy Ribeiro combined Brazilian and French resources to restore the building. The process of creating the cultural center and the restoration work spanned the 1980s, culminating in its inauguration in 1990. Since then, it has developed an eclectic program with a variety of exhibitions.