Breaking News: Brazil’s National Museum in Rio is engulfed by fire

Fire at Brazil National Museum engulfs 200-year-old building. The National Museum, which is tied to the Rio de Janeiro federal university, dates back to 1818 and is one of the oldest museums in South America. The building houses more than 20 million historical artefacts, not just from Brazil but also Egypt's, Greece's and Rome's ancient civilizations. Before becoming a museum, the building served as the residence for the Portuguese royal family and later Brazil's imperial family.

September 3, 2018 Claudiu Victor Gheorghiu Americas News, Analysis, Culture, Editor's Choice, Special events, The Americas, Visual arts, World News 0

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Brazil’s national museum, a 200-year-old building that once served as residence for the Portuguese royal family and contains 20 million items in its collection, has gone up in flames. The blaze broke out late on Sunday evening, and firefighters have been unable to bring it under control. Source of photo: EPA

 

Fire at Brazil National Museum engulfs 200-year-old building

Firefighters in Rio de Janeiro are battling a fierce blaze that has engulfed the city’s 200-year-old National Museum. The esteemed museum houses millions of items related to Brazil’s history.

Brazil’s National Museum in Rio de Janeiro was engulfed by a violent fire on Sunday, putting in jeopardy millions of the country’s most valuable treasures.

Firefighters in northern Rio de Janeiro battled the blaze into the early hours. After five hours, they had managed to bring the blaze under control, but were still working to extinguish it completely. Television footage showed the fierce flames light up the night sky, as thick plumes of smoke rose out of the burning building.

Brazilian media, citing security officials, said no one was believed to be injured. The museum had already closed by the time the fire broke out in the evening.

The cause remains unclear.

 

“Museum workers ran to the museum in the middle of the night and fought firefighters to try to go in and save pieces of the collection.” Photo by Cyriaco Lopes

 

In a statement, Brazilian President Michel Temer said it was “a sad day for all Brazilians.”

“Two hundred years of work, investigation and knowledge have been lost,” Temer added.

The National Museum, which is tied to the Rio de Janeiro federal university, dates back to 1818 and is one of the oldest museums in South America. The building houses more than 20 million historical artefacts, not just from Brazil but also Egypt’s, Greece’s and Rome’s ancient civilizations. Before becoming a museum, the building served as the residence for the Portuguese royal family and later Brazil’s imperial family.

However, despite the building’s rich history, the National Museum’s vice director Luiz Fernando Dias Duarte told Brazil’s Globo news broadcaster that the museum had suffered from chronic underfunding. “Everybody wants to be supportive now,” he said. “We never had adequate support.”  According to reports, Brazil’s state-run development bank, the BNDES, had already pledged some 22 million reais ($5.4 million, €4.7 million) to help “physically restore the historic building.”

Brazil is also struggling to emerge from its worst recession in decades, which was spurred by extensive government mismanagement and corruption, coupled with a steep fall in oil prices.

Source DW in English: https://www.dw.com/en/fire-at-brazil-national-museum-engulfs-200-year-old-building/a-45329013

News reposted by Intell News Romania, September 3, 2018

About Claudiu Victor Gheorghiu 57 Articles
My name is GHEORGHIU CLAUDIU VICTOR and I was born in October 1967 in Bucharest. In 1998 I took the master degree at University from Bucharest , the Faculty of History- universal old history section- with theme (CONSTANTIN the GREAT and CHRISTIANITY) at professor LIGIA BARZU. In 1991 I graduated Art School , PAINTING section with TITU DRAGUTESCU. I painted sacred pictures from 1990. I paint in technique tempera or tempera with egg on wood. During the period 1992-1994 I was managership at COLEUS modern art gallery . I am titular member of the Association Branch of Religious Plastic Arts and Restoration : AFAPRR of UAP from Romania: Romanian Fine Arts Union from April 17, 2019, admitted by contest, as well as I was trainee member during the period 2016-2019, admitted by contest. I was member in Plastic Background(FP) belong Romanian Fine Arts Union (UAP) from 7th of December 2000, admitted by contest. From 25th of May 2015 I was elected Media advisor of the Steering Committee of the Association Branch of Religious Plastic Arts and Restoration : AFAPRR of UAP from Romania: Romanian Fine Arts Union. From 2014 I am member VISARTA(from March 31, 2017, I was elected in the Steering Committee of Visarta, during the period 2017-2022), the Romanian Visual Arts Copyright Collecting Society. I have 4th Personal Exhibitions with sacred art organized by UAP from Romania- Romanian Fine Arts Union in Bucharest (2001,2003,2004 at ArTei Gallery, 2007 at Galateea Gallery) and another at Silva Gallery in Busteni(2007-2008). I have also 2 Personal Exhibitions in Italy : I was Honor Guest, representing Romania, with sacred art, June 2003 at Pisa and in October 2006 ”The ICONS, sacred pictures in contemporary world” at Viadana(Mantua). I won some prizes in Italy and I participated, admitted by contest, at some art fairs and international exhibitions around the world, representing Romania: most of them in Italy, but also in France, Greece, Japan, Peru, South Korea, Switzerland. From May 2015 to January 2016 I was Contributing Editor at CULTURE (Fine Arts, Exhibitions, History, Religion) at the newspaper Jurnalul Bucurestiului. From 17th of January 2016 I was advanced Senior Editor at the same newspaper . From 1st of November 2015 to 31st of December 2016 I was Contributing Editor and Thematic Advisor at News Agency Lacasuri Ortodoxe and Press service LO News. From 1st of January 2016 I am Senior Editor at CULTURE at the Intell News: Global news, press and event analysis. From May 3, 2019, I am also publisher commentator at the newspaper Ultima Oră.
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