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| Brazil currency 5 Mil Reis banknote |
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| Brazil 5 mil Reis banknote Fiscal Island Palace, Rio de Janeiro. |
Brazilian banknotes, Cédulas Brasileiras, Brazilian paper money, Brazilian bank notes, Brazil banknotes, Brazil paper money, Brazil bank notes, Currency of Brazil
Obverse: Seated woman holding a small statue of the Goddess of Victory.
Reverse: Palácio da Ilha Fiscal - Fiscal Island Palace located within Guanabara Bay at Rio de Janeiro.
Printed by American Bank Note Company, New York.
Fiscal Island Palace
In the nineteenth century , Councilor José Antônio Saraiva 's Finance Ministry asked to build up a customs office for the control of goods to be imported and exported through the port of Rio de Janeiro, then the capital of the Empire. The position of the island was quite comfortable for inspectors from Customs, due to the proximity of the anchor points, and the transfer of goods could be carried in vessels, without major difficulties.
The decision of the building, as well as its architectural style, was chosen by the Emperor Dom Pedro II, taking into account not conflict with the landscape of the Serra do Mar. At the time, the Emperor reportedly said: "The island is a delicate case, worthy of a brilliant gem."
The building design was chosen as small "château" in Gothic-Provençal style of French architect Viollet-le-Duc, with project authored by Adolpho José Del Vecchio - then Engineer-Director of Works of the Ministry of Finance.
The project Del Vecchio was awarded the Gold Medal at the exhibition of the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts.
On November 16th 1881, the first stone for the customhouse was laid.
On April 27th 1889 the building was inaugurated in the presence of the Emperor who arrived on the island with his famous Imperial Galley ( constructed in 1808 in Bahia), accompanied by Prince Gaston d'Orléans, Count of Eu and brilliant retinue. The highlights of the castle are the exceptional carved stonework, by Antônio Teixeira Ruiz, the floor of the turret in mosaics made of over ten different species of hardwood, by Moreira de Carvalho and the beautiful work in cast-iron by Manuel Joaquim Moreira. Also remarkable are the wall paintings by Frederico Steckel, the tower clock and the magnificent stained-glass windows imported from England.
The Island became famous because of the the last Imperial Ball that was held on its premises, "O Baile da Ilha Fiscal", the ball took place on November 9th in 1889 organized by the Visconde de Ouro Preto in honor of the Chilean officers of the warship "Almirante Cochrane". The estimated attendance was about three to five thousand guests. The island was decorated with Chinese lanterns, French vases and Brazilian flowers. It was the last big party of the monarchy before the proclamation of the Brazilian Republic. Five days after the Imperial Ball at the Fiscal Island Palace, the Parliament along with the Army's decide to put an end to the Constitutional Monarchy regime. Emperor Pedro II was "invited" to step down and leave the country and so He did. The Monarchy ended its last days in great style and From then on Brazil became a Republic. This was a very significant time in the history of Rio de Janeiro and Brazil on the whole, and you can learn more about it on tours to Ilha Fiscal.
Today, the lime-green-colored Fiscal Island Palace is both a landmark and a museum. Most of the building's interior is used to house exhibits that relate to the Brazilian navy. The country's navy actually owns the small island that the palace dominates. Tours to Ilha Fiscal are offered by the navy, it is worth noting, and these tours show off an array of sites and artifacts. Four small islands are actually included on the navy tour itinerary and a WWI-era tugboat is used to ferry guests around Guanabara Bay.
The naval tours to Ilha Fiscal that include three other nearby islands last approximately 90 minutes. It is also possible to book a tour that only includes a stop at Ilha Fiscal. These guided tours are available Thursday through Sunday and last approximately two and a half hours. Extra time to view the museum exhibits inside of the Fiscal Island Palace is part of the deal on these longer tours.
Should you plan on enjoying one of the longer tours of Ilha Fiscal, you will either travel by boat or by bus depending on the day. On weekdays, it is customary for tour-goers to take a boat to Ilha Fiscal. On weekends, buses are used for the relatively short trip from mainland Rio de Janeiro. They use a small causeway to get there. As for where to find the tours to Ilha Fiscal, the boats depart from the Espaco Cultural da Marinha. This cultural center on the water can be found in the historic Centro neighborhood near the Praca XV Square. Before you take a tour, you might check out the exhibits at the Espaco Cultural da Marinha. They offer wonderful insight into the maritime history of Brazil. As for taking a bus tour to Ilha Fiscal, the Praca XV Square is the normal starting point.
Ilha Fiscal is one of the most identifiable Rio de Janeiro attractions, and if you like history and architecture, taking a tour of it is recommended while in town. You'll enjoy spectacular views of both the island and the city on the tours to Ilha Fiscal, and it won't be hard to pick out Sugarloaf Mountain rising up in the near distance.