Ilha Fiscal

This small island in Guanabara Bay is crowned by a green neo-Gothic customs palace completed in 1889, its pointed towers and pinnacles reflecting the taste of the late empire. It is famous as the site of the last imperial ball, held days before the monarchy was overthrown and the republic proclaimed. Now linked to naval history, the castle-like building houses a museum reached by boat from the mainland naval complex. Its whimsical silhouette rising from the water, set against the bay and city skyline, makes it a distinctive maritime landmark.