it is a grand structure made up of large halls, salons, and lounges, lined with marble floors, and alluring fittings of crystal chandeliers and pieces of french sévres porcelain, with its outstanding feature a bronze sculpture of writer machado de assis - the academy's first president, located in the garden at the entrance.

the machado de assis room has a display of objects once used by the writer, books from his personal library, his desk and an oil painting by mexican painter rodolfo bernardelli.

busts of writers àlvares de azevedo, casimiro de abreu, castro alves, fagundes varela and gonçalves dias hold court in the romantic poets room.