Monument to the Independence of Brazil
The Monument to the Independence of Brazil, also called Ipiranga Monument or the Altar of the Fatherland, is set in granite and bronze sculpture. It is located on the banks of the Ipiranga brook, in São Paulo, on the historic site where D. Pedro I of Brazil proclaimed the independence of the country on September 7, 1822.
The monument was executed by Ettore Ximenes (sculptor), and Manfredo Manfredi (architect), for the occasion of the first centenary of Brazilian Independence.
Inside the monument is the Brazilian Imperial Crypt and Chapel. The crypt was built in 1952 to house the remains of Emperor Pedro I of Brazil and his wives, Maria Leopoldina of Austria and Amélie of Leuchtenberg.
D. Pedro I and D. Amelia's bodies were transferred from the Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza, while D. Maria Leopoldina was moved from the Convent of Santo António in Rio de Janeiro.