Florentine Castle of Santa Teresa

The Florentine Castle of Santa Teresa is one of the many attractions in Rio de Janeiro that are rarely included in tourist itineraries, despite its unique boldness, beauty, and grandeur, enhanced by the immense green area that surrounds its 10 thousand square meters of construction.

Located at the top of the Santa Teresa hill, visible from various neighborhoods in the city, it was built in 1942, at the initiative of banker Oscar Sant’Anna, who had fallen in love with a similar building (Palazzo Vecchio) that he had visited in Florence.

Sant’Anna photographed all angles of the Italian Castle, and as soon as he returned to Brazil, he commissioned something inspired by the original to the architect Faro Filho. He used the finest materials: marbles, stones, and stained glass were imported from Europe. The construction took four years.

Later, the Castle was sold to the Vatican government, which turned it into its Apostolic Nunciature, a kind of Embassy in Brazil. At this time, a chapel integrated into the building was constructed.

Designated as a Cultural Heritage of the city of Rio de Janeiro, the building is preserved as an environmental protection area, completely integrated into the landscape of the bucolic neighborhood of Santa Teresa.