at a glance

in total there are more than 4,000 religious pieces on display, including sculptures, paintings, furniture, silverware, porcelain, clothing, medals, books, jewelry. there is also a large sections designated to john paul ii's personal belongings. other intriguing exhibits are dom pedro ii's throne, a golden rose received by queen isabel from pope leo xiii, and the baptism bowl used by the royal family.

museu arquidiocesano de arte sacra da arquidiocese do rio de janeiro, avenida república do chile, 245, centro, tel. 21. 2240.2669 or 21.2240.2869 - here is the website, contact page, and map.

the museu histórico e diplomático (the diplomatic history museum) was inaugurated by president juscelino kubitschek in 1957. it is located on the ground floor of itamaraty palace, one of the country's greatest architectural achievements. the pink mansion, completed in 1854, was the headquarters of the ministry of foreign affairs from 1899 to 1970.