Praça dos Três Poderes (ˈpɾasɐ dus ˈtɾes poˈdeɾis,
Three Powers Plaza) is a plaza in
BrasíliaBrasília is the capital city of Brazil. The name is commonly spelled Brasilia in English. The city and its District are located in the Central-West region of the country, along a plateau known as Planalto Central. It has a population of about 2,557,000 as of the 2008 IBGE estimate, making it the...
, the capital of
BrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. The name is derived from the presence of the three governmental powers around the plaza: the
ExecutiveExecutive branch of Government is the part of government that has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy. The division of power into separate branches of government is central to the idea of the separation of powers.In many countries, the term...
, represented by the
Palácio do PlanaltoThe Palácio do Planalto is the official workplace of the President of Brazil. It is located at the Praça dos Três Poderes in Brasília, Brazil. As the seat of government, the term Planalto is often used as a metonym for the executive branch of the government.The main working office of the President...
(presidential office); the
LegislativeA legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
represented by the
Congresso NacionalThe National Congress of Brazil is the legislative body of Brazil's federal government.Unlike regional legislative bodies – Legislative Assemblies and City Councils -, the Congress is bicameral, composed of the Federal Senate and the Chamber of Deputies .The Senate represents the 26 states and...
(National Congress); and the
JudiciaryThe judiciary is the system of courts that interprets and applies the law in the name of the state. The judiciary also provides a mechanism for the resolution of disputes...
, represented by the Supremo Tribunal Federal (Federal Supreme Court).
The plaza was designed by
Lúcio CostaLucio Costa was a Brazilian architect and urban planner.-Career:Costa was born in Toulon, France.Educated at the Royal Grammar School, Newcastle upon Tyne, England and in Montreux until 1916, he graduated as an architect in 1924 from the School of Fine Art in Rio de Janeiro...
and
Oscar NiemeyerOscar Ribeiro de Almeida Niemeyer Soares Filho is a Brazilian architect specializing in international modern architecture...
as a place where the three powers would meet harmoniously, it has now become a tourist attraction of Brasília.
Praça dos Três Poderes
|
Numbers in image correspond to numbers in list of landmarks, museums and other features below. |
| 1 |
Visitor Center |
| 2 |
Oscar NiemeyerOscar Ribeiro de Almeida Niemeyer Soares Filho is a Brazilian architect specializing in international modern architecture...
Statue |
| 3 |
Supreme Federal Court Building |
| 4 |
Sculpture "The Justice" by Alfredo Ceschiatti |
| 5 |
Espaço Lúcio Costa Museum |
| 6 |
Chamber of Deputies The Chamber of Deputies of Brazil is a federal legislative body and the lower house of the National Congress of Brazil. As of 2006, the chamber comprises 513 deputies, who are elected by proportional representation to serve four-year terms...
Annex IV Building |
| 7 |
City's Museum |
| 8 |
Israel Pinheiro Monument |
| 9 |
Itamaraty Palace (Ministry of External RelationsThe Ministry of External Relations conducts Brazil's foreign relations with other countries. It is commonly referred to in Brazilian media and diplomatic jargon as the Itamaraty, after the palace which hosts the ministry...
) |
| 10 |
Ministries Esplanade The Monumental Axis is a central avenue in Brasília's city design.The avenue begins on the National Congress of Brazil building and is considered part of the DF-002 road. Its first section is known as "Ministries Esplanade" , as it is surrounded by ministries buildings...
|
| 11 |
UNESCOThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
Monument |
| 12 |
National CongressThe National Congress of Brazil is the legislative body of Brazil's federal government.Unlike regional legislative bodies – Legislative Assemblies and City Councils -, the Congress is bicameral, composed of the Federal Senate and the Chamber of Deputies .The Senate represents the 26 states and...
Building |
| 12a |
Chamber of Deputies The Chamber of Deputies of Brazil is a federal legislative body and the lower house of the National Congress of Brazil. As of 2006, the chamber comprises 513 deputies, who are elected by proportional representation to serve four-year terms...
Tower |
| 12b |
Senate The Federal Senate of Brazil is the upper house of the National Congress of Brazil. Created by the first Constitution of the Brazilian Empire in 1824, it was inspired by the United Kingdom's House of Lords, but with the Proclamation of the Republic in 1889 it became closer to the United States...
Tower |
| 13 |
TV Tower The Brasília TV Tower was completed in 1967 at a height of 218 meters, but in 1987 another 6 meter was added by the TV channel Bandeirantes. Now the TV Tower is 224 m height....
|
| 14 |
Sculpture "The Warriors" (or "The Candangos") by Bruno Giorgi Bruno Giorgi was an Italian Brazilian sculptor whose works are displayed at several national sites. Although born in Brazil he spent much of his youth in Europe as his family returned to Italy when he was six and he did not return to Brazil until 1939.- External links :**...
|
| 15 |
Senate Annex II Building |
| 16 |
Palácio do PlanaltoThe Palácio do Planalto is the official workplace of the President of Brazil. It is located at the Praça dos Três Poderes in Brasília, Brazil. As the seat of government, the term Planalto is often used as a metonym for the executive branch of the government.The main working office of the President...
Building |
The plaza is home to the largest flag in the world to be flown regularly (in this case, continuously). The
Brazilian flagThe national flag of Brazil is a blue disc depicting a starry sky spanned by a curved band inscribed with the national motto, within a yellow rhombus, on a green field. Brazil officially adopted this design for its national flag on November 19, 1889, replacing the flag of the second Empire of Brazil...
hoisted weighs about 600
kilogramThe kilogram or kilogramme , also known as the kilo, is the base unit of mass in the International System of Units and is defined as being equal to the mass of the International Prototype Kilogram , which is almost exactly equal to the mass of one liter of water...
s (1300
poundsThe pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
) and has never been taken down (without a simultaneous replacement) since the capital was inaugurated on 21 April 1960. The flag is changed monthly in the presence of
Presidential Guard BattalionThe Presidential Guard Battalion is a unit of the Brazilian Army and honor guard to the President of Brazil. Two other units, the 1st Guards Cavalry Regiment and the Cayenne Battery, are also part of the presidential honor guard....
, Independence Dragoons, other troops and sometimes the
President of BrazilThe president of Brazil is both the head of state and head of government of the Federative Republic of Brazil. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the Brazilian Armed Forces...
.
External links
Photos 360º of Square of the Three Powers - GUIABSB