On the occasion of the declaration of independence 200 years ago, the heart of Brazil’s first emperor, Pedro I, was brought to the South American country and received with state honours. President Jair Bolsonaro received her in a ceremony at Palácio do Planalto, in the capital Brasília, as reported by the G1 news portal last night.
APA/AFP/Evaristo Sat
The heart, preserved in formaldehyde, arrived aboard a military plane on Monday and was transported in a luxury sedan. On the occasion of the commemorations of Brazil’s declaration of independence, the preserved organ is on display at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
On September 7, 1822, the Portuguese “Dom Pedro” proclaimed Brazil’s independence from Portugal. As Pedro I was the first Emperor of Brazil between 1822 and 1831, and in 1826 he was also briefly King of Portugal under the name Pedro IV.
The first emperor of Brazil had lived in South America since childhood: at the end of 1807, the Portuguese royal family and the then nine-year-old boy fled to the colony from Napoleon’s troops.