Founded in 1897, the mission of the Academia Brasileira de Letras (Brazilian Academy of Literature) is to cultivate national language and literature. It is composed of 40 effective, permanent members, and 20 corresponding foreign members.
The antique building was given as a gift by the French government in 1923. It’s a replica of the Petit Trianon in Versailles, and was constructed the year before to house the France Pavilion at the International Exposition of Brazil’s Centennial Independence in Rio de Janeiro. Today, the luxurious edifice is home to the Academy’s regular meetings and commemoration ceremonies for new members of the ABL. The hall has a marble floor, French crystal chandelier, and pieces of Sévres porcelain. The ground floor also includes the Room of the Romantic Poets, the Machado de Assis Room, and the Founders’ Room.
Beside the Petit Trianon is the Austregésilo de Athayde Palace, inaugurated July 20th, 1979, which houses the Rodolfo Garcia Library and Board of Directors.
The ABL collection is composed of works of art and furniture from the era, as well as the personal objects of some of its members. The sculpture and painting collections include works by Portinari, Rodolfo Bernardelli, Gomes Carollo, Manuel Santiago, Leão Veloso, and Bruno Giorgi.
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 14:00 to 15:00, a tour led by actors dressed in period clothes retells the story of the Academy, often with poetry recitations such as “Song of Exile” by Gonçalves Dias.