Petrópolis, Brazil.

Petrópolis is a Brazilian city north of Rio de Janeiro. Bordering the Serra dos Órgãos National Park, with its forested peaks and waterfalls, it’s known as a mountain retreat for Rio residents. In the center, the Imperial Museum displays period furnishings in the former palace of 19th-century emperor Dom Pedro II. Nearby, the huge São Pedro de Alcântara Cathedral houses the mausoleum of the emperor and his wife.

Petrópolis was names in the honor of the last Emperor of Brasil, Pedro II. 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 during the First Brazilian Republic, between 1894 and 1902. When Emperor Pedro I traveled to Minas Gerais in 1822, he passed though this mountainous area and found the climate here was much pleasant and not so hot like in Rio de Janeiro. He bought the land and started construction of the Imperial summer residence that eventually turned into the capital of Brasil.

His son, Emperor Pedro II finalized and finished the construction of a settlement by a decree signed in 1843. He invited Germans to move here and start new city and new capital of Brasilian Empire.

From then on, during the summer, the city became the de facto capital of the Empire of Brazil, with the change of the whole court. Large numbers of inhabitants of the city of Rio de Janeiro also moved during the summer to Petropolis to escape the outbreaks of yellow fever. Emperor Pedro II ruled for 49 years and, in at least forty summers, remained in Petrópolis, possibly for up to five months. On 29 September 1857, the town was elevated to the status of a city.

The former summer palace of Emperor Pedro II (1831–1889) of Brasil, built in 1845. The Imperial Museum is composed of 44 rooms spread over two wings and an upper floor. The left wing and the upper floor are decorated so as to show the private quarters of the Imperial family. The neoclassical architecture is simple yet elegant, perfect for a summer home.

Years after the proclamation of the Republic, the Palace turned into a Museum, with a rich collection of pieces related to the monarchy. It includes furniture used at the time, documents, paintings, works of art and even personal objects that belonged to the imperial family in the past. Visiting the Museum is a true time travel.

Crystal Palace, a glass-and-steel structure with impressive chandeliers that was originally intended as a ballroom. It was built in 1884 for the Crown Princess Isabel of Brasil as a gift from her husband, the Conde d’Eu of France.

In 1888, Princess Isabella through a huge party here where she gave freedom to slaves and shortly after she signed the law to abolish slavery in Brazil. After abolishment of slavery she was hated by nobles who wanted to keep slavery. Isabel liked black people and did not want them to suffer life of slaves and she gave them the gift, freedom. After Isabel was forced for an exile to France when monarchy was overthrown, republicans took all the crystals from the palace that were brought from Austria. They tried to destroy the palace but eventually kept it as it is but without crystals.

The Cathedral of Saint Peter of Alcantara , also known as the Cathedral of Petrópolis, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Petrópolis, Brazil, dedicated to the country's patron saint, Peter of Alcantara. The cathedral is also the resting place of the last Emperor of Brazil, Dom Pedro II, and his family.

The construction on the Gothic Revival style church began in 1884, and was completed in 1925. The church tower was built in 1969.