Petrópolis

Infobox City
official_name = Petrópolis


imagesize = 250px
image_caption = Petrópolis


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mapsize = 250px
map_caption = Location of Petrópolis
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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_type1 = Region
subdivision_type2 = State
subdivision_name = Brazil
subdivision_name1 = Southeast
subdivision_name2 = Rio de Janeiro
leader_title = Prefeito
leader_name = Rubens Bomtempo (PSB)
area_note =
area_total_km2 = 811
population_as_of = 2006
population_total = 312.183
population_density_km2 =
population_metro =
timezone = UTC-3
utc_offset = -3
timezone_DST =
utc_offset_DST =
latd = 22|latm= 30|lats= 18|latNS=S
longd = 43|longm=10|longs= 44|longEW=W
elevation_m = 809.5
website = [http://www.petropolis.rj.gov.br www.petropolis.rj.gov.br]
footnotes =|

Petrópolis, also known as The Imperial City of Brazil, is a town in the state of Rio de Janeiro, about 65 km from Rio de Janeiro.

Nestled among the forested hills of the Serra dos Órgãos, in the valley of the Quitandinha and Piabanha rivers, Petrópolis is a popular summer holiday spot. Besides the climate and surroundings, the main attraction is the former Summer Palace of the second Brazilian Emperor, which is now a museum, specializing in Imperial history and memorabilia.

Petrópolis is home to the National Laboratory for Scientific Computing (LNCC), a research unit of the Ministry of Science and Technology of the Brazilian Federal Government.

History

The town's name ("city of Peter") honors Emperor Pedro II, the nation's second monarch. The city was the summer residence of the Brazilian Emperors and aristocrats in the 19th century, and was the official capital of the state of Rio de Janeiro between 1894 and 1903.

The town's origins can be traced to Bernardo Soares de Proença, who in 1720 opened an alternative route between Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais, across the Serra da Estrela. While traveling to Minas Gerais along this route, Emperor Pedro I found the region's climate pleasant, so in 1830 he bought a farm, and had his Summer Palace built there, but he never saw it finished, since he stepped down from the trone. Other Brazilian aristocrats eventually followed suit.

Under his successor Pedro II, German farmers from the Rhineland were encouraged to immigrate and to settle on the Emperor's outlying lands, to help give the Palace a charming urban setting. The settlement of Petrópolis was founded on March 16, 1843, being promoted to district in 1844 and finally city in 1857. The road connecting the city to Rio de Janeiro was opened in 1910 and paved in 1928.

On a visit at the Philadelphia Exposition of 1876, Pedro II was impressed by Alexander Graham Bell's new telephone, and had a line installed between the Summer Palace and the farm headquarters. Even after the establishment of the Republic and the exile of the Imperial family in 1889, the city continued to play a significant role in Brazilian history. In 1903 the Palace of Rio Negro saw the signing of a peace treaty with Bolivia, which gave Brazil the Acre territory. In August 15, 1947, the Organization of American States opened there the Conference for the Maintenance of Peace and Security in the Continent, from which derived the Interamerican Treaty for Reciprocal Assistance.

Trivia

*Stefan Zweig and his wife spent their final year in Petrópolis before committing suicide in 1942.
*Petrópolis is the birthplace of Princess Maria da Gloria of Orléans-Braganza
*The city was featured very briefly in the TV program "City of Men" Series 1 episode 1 (The emperor's crown) and showed the children looking around the Imperial Museum in the palace.
*Prince Pedro Gastão of Orléans-Braganza, the 6th Prince of Grão Pará, was the founder of the Petrópolis branch of the Brazilian Imperial House.
*The city hosted the 1973 Interzonal Chess Championship, which was won undefeatedly by Brazilian grandmaster Henrique Mecking.
*The house of aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont, which is now a museum, is located in Petropolis.
*Sir Peter Brian Medawar, co-winner of the 1960 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, was born in Petropolis. He was a British citizen.

External links

* [http://www.petropolis.rj.gov.br/ Petrópolis City Hall]
* [http://www.lncc.br/ingles National Laboratory for Scientific Computing]
* [http://cptrans.petropolis.rj.gov.br/cptrans Petrópolis Department of Transportation Urban - CPTrans]
* [http://www.ucp.br Catholic University of Petropolis]
* [http://www.luteranos.com.br/petropolis/ Lutheran Church in Petropolis]