Rio Branco Palace

The Palace of Rio Branco is the former seat of the government of the state of Bahia and one of the oldest palace complexes in Brazil. The palace is located in the western part of El Salvador and is one of the most popular city attractions.

Translated from Portuguese, the phrase "riu-brancu" means "white river". The palace itself is quite consistent with its name - the building attracts attention with a snow-white facade and beautiful decoration. The palace was laid down by Brazil's first governor-general, Tomé de Sousa, in 1569, and since then it has performed many administrative functions - the building has seated the government, considered political issues and passed laws.

In 1912, the palace of Rio Branco was badly damaged during the military conflict and was almost destroyed. Its restoration took a long seven years, and during this time it partially lost its political importance - today the building houses various charities and the Cultural Foundation of Bahia.

In general, the Rio Branco Palace is a significant historical and architectural monument of El Salvador and attracts many tourists.