Thread by @marinamaral2

The palace was donated by a merchant to Prince Regent D. João in 1808 and later became the official residence of the royal family in Brazil between 1816 and 1821.

The Egyptian collection began to be acquired by the emperor Dom Pedro I in the 1800s. There was also a collection of Greco-Roman art and artifacts that belonged to Empress Teresa Cristina.

It was there that Princess Leopoldina, married to D. Pedro I, signed the proclamation of independence of Brazil in 1822, which is celebrated within a few days, on September 7.

The original document probably was lost in the fire.

If you are not Brazilian, it may be difficult for you to fathom the fact that the museum had absolutely no mechanisms that could possibly help extinguish the fire.

Not even the hydrants were working properly when the fire brigade arrived.

But for us, sadly, this is not surprising. It is only the consummation of the fact that our government does not give a sh*t about what really matters.

The whole country is falling apart.

Imagine the Palace of Versailles on fire and you will understand the magnitude of what happened yesterday.

What can be expected from a country that does not preserve and value its own past?

That's what's left of so many important documents for our history.

I'm so sad I could not sleep yet.

The museum's collection was curated and preserved by hundreds of different people throughout the course of 200 years (against all odds). I can not stop thinking that all their hard work has been turned into ashes.

And all the history that we lost and will never ever recover.

And guess what will change after all that... absolutely nothing.

242 people were killed inside a nightclub in 2013 due to fire caused by illegal indoor usage of outdoor pyrotechnics. Their parents and relatives are still fighting in court to receive AT LEAST an apology.

Because building gigantic stadiums for the World Cup, which were subsequently abandoned, is what really matters here.

Lastly, I sincerely believe that the loss of any museum is a loss to civilization as a whole.

Some people criticize me for saying all this publicly, but I think that's something the world needs to know and understand.

I love my country and I would love it to be so much better than it is. But I do not think it will ever be. Especially after what happened yesterday.

politicians are already on the TV trying to take advantage of the situation. Where were they while the disaster could be avoided and the museum was screaming for help?

Disgusting.

Ps - the parents are now being sued by the authorities, by the way.

People are wrapping the museum in a symbolic embrace.