Palace of the Champs Elysees

About

The Campos Elíseos Palace (Portuguese: Palácio dos Campos Elíseos), formerly known as the Elias Chaves' Residence (Portuguese: Palacete Elias Chaves), is located on Rio Branco Avenue in the center of São Paulo. It was designed by German architect Matheus Häusler, with construction initiated in 1890 and completed in 1899. The building was originally intended to serve as the residence of coffee grower and politician Elias Antônio Pacheco e Chaves. The structure spans four floors and covers 4,000 square meters, with its design inspired by the Château d'Écouen in France. The construction incorporated technological innovations introduced from Europe, with most materials sourced internationally, including mirrors from Venice, porcelain doorknobs from Sèvres, terracotta from Italy, and locks and hinges from the United States. In 1915, the palace was renamed “Campos Eliseos Palace” when it became the official seat of government and residence of the São Paulo state government. At this time, the original bars surrounding the building were replaced with high walls that obscured it from view. In 1967, a fire necessitated the relocation of both the seat of government and the governor's residence to the Bandeirantes Palace (Palácio dos Bandeirantes) in Morumbi. Since then, the Campos Elíseos Palace has undergone multiple restoration efforts, including an exterior restoration carried out between March 2008 and 2010. The building was officially listed as a heritage site in 1977 by the Council for the Defense of Historical, Archaeological, Artistic, and Tourist Heritage (Conselho de Defesa do Patrimônio Histórico, Arqueológico, Artístico e Turístico - CONDEPHAAT).

At the end of the 19th century, the palace was commissioned by the coffee grower Elias Antônio Pacheco e Chaves, in the Campos Eliseos district, a neighborhood that was becoming a prominent area in São Paulo. The name Campos Eliseos originates from the Parisian Champs-Élysées Avenue. Between 1890 and 1899, the palace was designed by architect Matheus Häusler, who also worked on the construction of the Chá Viaduct (Viaduto do Chá). The Campos Elíseos Palace is an important example of São Paulo's architecture, reflecting the economic significance of the coffee trade during the late 19th century. In 1903, the original owner died, and the property was inherited by family members who resided there until 1911 when it was sold to the state. After the acquisition, the former Elias Chaves' residence was renamed the Campos Eliseos Palace. From 1912, the palace functioned as a residence for political leaders, starting with President-Councilor Rodrigues Alves. It housed state governors until 1924, during the administration of Carlos de Campos. In the São Paulo Revolt of 1924, the building was occupied by revolutionaries for approximately 20 days and sustained damage from bombings. Additional damage occurred during the Constitutionalist Revolution in 1932. In 1930, the movement's victory displaced Júlio Prestes and Heitor Penteado, the leaders of the government at the time.

In the 1960s, with the move of politicians' residences to the Bandeirantes Palace in Morumbi, the Campos Eliseos Palace was repurposed to become home to some state secretariats. At the same time, there were discussions about the future of the building, including potential demolition, but bodies such as the CONDEPHAAT and the Historical and Geographical Institute of Guarujá-Bertioga (Instituto Histórico e Geográfico Guarujá-Bertioga) called for the palace to be preserved. However, an accidental fire on the roof of the building in 1967 destroyed a large part of its structure.

Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Photography via Wikimedia Commons.