EnglishTown Hall and Bishop’s Palace
Olinda, Pernambuco, Brazil
Equipment and Infrastructures
The print entitled Marin d’Olinda (1630-1631) and contained in Johan de Laet’s book on the history of the West India Company shows a two-storey building next to the Parish Church of the Saviour, represented as the Town Hall of Olinda. When the town was raised to city status in 1676, Bishop Dom Estevão Brioso de Figueira (appointed during the reign of King Pedro II) was given charge of this building and the local authorities moved to another part of the city. Two other structures were eventually added and the whole combined to form the Bishop’s Palace of Olinda. The building later underwent various architectural interventions. Its appearance was significantly disfigured by 1972, when it was restored and adapted for use as a sacred art museum. The palace’s architectural arrangement was the sum of three distinct constructions: a first noble residence with two belvederes; a single-storey house; and the aforesaid town hall. The palace’s plan, designed by an unknown author, is stored in the National Archives of Rio de Janeiro, but was never completed. In the 19th century, renovation work was to change its appearance. The Museum of Sacred Art is now one of Olinda’s tourist attractions. Its collection includes two panels from a set of four made in the 18th century with profane subject-matter; they were returned to their original location during the 1972 restoration.