In the Historical Center of Florianópolis, right beside the Metropolitan Cathedral, there is a beautiful building built in the 1920s. At that time, it was used as the headquarters for Partido Republicano Catarinense (Santa Catarina Republican Party).

Several symbols belonging to different architectural styles coexist in the architecture of that building, forming a construction of eclectic characteristics suggesting wealth and power. And it is in that scenery that one finds installed currently Casa da Memória de Florianópolis (The House of the Memory of Florianópolis): a documentation center where documents are restored, organized, preserved, as well as visual, sound, bibliographical registrations and documents relative to the history, memory, identity and cultural production of the city are publicized.

The House of the Memory hosts the coordination of Patrimônio Cultural da Fundação Franklin Cascaes (Franklin Cascaes Cultural Patrimony Foundation) and it is listed by the Municipality and State.

This visit will bring full satisfaction to your aesthetic sense. First, because of the beautiful XIX century building implanted on the street, almost without sidewalk and with wide masonry of stones, bricks and stuccos. Second, because of the romantic alcoves, still preserved on the upper floor. Third, because when admiring Victor Meirelles' (1832-1903) countless sketches and canvases, the sensitive part of your being will enter in communion with the beauty and the great artist's geniality.

Some Victor Meirelles de Lima's works: The First Mass in Brazil; Battle of Guararapes; View of Desterro (current Florianópolis).

Beside this museum there are Antiga Escola Normal and Academia de Comércio beautiful buildings.Victor Meirelles' house is listed by the National Historical and Artistic Patrimony since 1950.

An architectural complex composed by two constructions - one reserved for the radio-telegraphic station and another destined to shelter the house of machines - was built in Lagoa da Conceição in 1912.

In 1914, with the event of First World War, coincidentally or not, the radio was deactivated. The construction, well preserved, stands as the only representative of the architecture of the post-industrial revolution period in Santa Catarina Island.

Now it hosts an advanced post of Fundação Franklin Cascaes, which promotes courses and workshops of arts, a place where several cultural manifestations happen and that preserves the history and the island people memory.

Eco-museum has as purpose to preserve and to show goods, identifying its conception, keeping all the original lines, either in a material construction, or in the relationship with the ecosystem or even in its socio-cultural function.

The Ribeirão da Ilha Eco-Museum has as one of its goals to preserve the bases of the Azorean culture produced in Santa Catarina rural area. The Museum is installed in a house dated from 1921, with an atmosphere that creates again the Azorean colonization, gathering old pieces of furniture, sacred and folkloric pieces and electronic relics. Beside the house a typical flour mill can be seen, that still shelters the original machinery in which the cassava flour was manufactured in an artisanal way.

The Eco-museum also has an auditorium where lectures, courses and exhibitions of cultural videos are promoted. The Inn and the Museum restaurant complete the architectural complex with beautiful view of the beach.

When visiting the grandiose Santana Fort do not miss the Weapons Museum. Children and adults will love to see the old weapons exposed there, the uniforms from several times and the simple "pipe-car" to extinguish fires.

Santana Fort reveals the system of defense of Santa Catarina Island in an expressive way and the Weapons Museum unveils for the civil eyes, a bit of the history of the warlike material in this place

Have you ever seen a pink palace, looking like the scenery of a period film? It exists and is located in Praça XV de Novembro. It is Cruz and Souza Palace, which hosts Santa Catarina Historical Museum.

You will be surprised by seeing a palace rich in history, furniture, art and beauty. Brace yourself, because you will find in it: staircase made of Carrara marble, medieval horsemen statues in bronze, inlaid work parquets, rooms with furniture of the XIX century and an immense and magnificent art-nouveau window panel.

If you are used to frequent theaters in another places, you will love visiting Teatro Álvaro de Carvalho. Soon after entering, you will be involved by the magic and mystery that the old show rooms still possess.

Inaugurated in 1875 as Teatro Santa Isabel (in honor to Princesa Isabel), it was named Teatro Álvaro of Carvalho in 1894 in deference to the first local playwright, but also in a recognized breaking attitude towards the Brazilian monarchic system.

Imposing building, this room of shows had great socio-cultural importance in the city and it shelters in its "foyer", two immense canvases by the plastic artist Martinho de Haro. With capacity for 400 seats it receives shows from the whole country.

While the Week of Modern Art surprised the country in 1922, the foundation of the União Beneficente Recreativa Operária - UBRO (Beneficent Recreational Worker Union), took place in Florianópolis.

The Association always developed activities in the pursuit for the rights of the working class. In this sense, in 1931, it inaugurated its head office in the historical center of the capital, leading off the functions of the first theater destined to Santa Catarina working class.

In 1993 the building of the UBRO collapsed, but its façade remained unharmed, being then incorporated to a new building. UBRO Theater hosts currently a place for shows with capacity for 100 people in homelike atmosphere, administrated by Franklin Cascaes Cultural Foundation.