Historical and Diplomatic Museum Palácio Itamaraty

Located inside the beautiful Itamaraty Palace, the Historical and Diplomatic Museum (MHD) gathers a precious collection related to the diplomatic history of Brazil. The Itamaraty Palace was once the residence of the Count of Itamaraty (until 1889), a presidential palace (until 1897) and headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (until 1970). The Museum was founded in 1955 and operated in several rooms until its reorganization occupies much of the Palace.

The MHD is characterized by showing how it would be a residence in the nineteenth century, exposing in several and large halls a heterogeneous collection that includes works of art, period furniture and decorative objects.

Besides the MHD, the Palace concentrates the library and the historical map library, with more than 30 thousand pieces, between letters, maps, atlases and globes; the Historical Archive, with millions of documents dating back to the coming of King João VI; the Center for Diplomatic History and Documentation (CHDD) and the Office of Representation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Since its inauguration the museum has undergone several restoration works which, for some periods, kept it closed to visitation. At the time of the preparation of this Guide, visits were suspended because of conservation works.