Destroyed by fire in 2018 | Reconstruction of the Rio National Museum begins

(Rio de Janeiro) Reconstruction work on the National Museum of Rio de Janeiro, destroyed by fire in September 2018 and which housed one of the most valuable natural history collections in Latin America, began on Friday.

The reconstruction of the former imperial palace of the 19th century^e century, located north of Rio, will begin with the facade and roof that collapsed during the fire, museum director Alexander Kellner and city officials said at a press conference.

“Today we can take the first step to turn the page on one of the greatest scientific and cultural tragedies in our country,” said Mr. Kellner.

Considered the main natural history museum in Latin America, the National Museum of Rio de Janeiro was particularly renowned for the richness of its paleontological collections. The spectacular fire had deeply shocked Brazil and the scientific community around the world.

Starting from the air conditioning system, the fire spread rapidly due to the lack of equipment that could have slowed down the flames.

The carelessness of the public authorities was then pointed out, this disaster being seen as a “tragedy foretold” due to the lack of funds allocated to the maintenance of cultural sites in Brazil.

The restoration work is expected to be completed in 2026, but the inauguration of the exterior of the museum, now surrounded by metal structures and a temporary roof, will take place on September 7, 2022, on the occasion of the bicentenary of the Brazil’s declaration of independence.

Some 85% of the 20 million pieces, most of them exceptional, have gone up in smoke, and the museum will pay special attention to the restoration of those that were rescued from the rubble.

“We estimate that we will recover between 20,000 and 50,000 pieces,” said Mr. Kellner.

After the fire, paleontologists and archaeologists managed to save pieces buried under the rubble, including the museum’s gem, Luzia, the oldest human fossil in Brazil, 12,000 years old.

The Bendego meteorite, five tonnes of iron and nickel, which survived the flames, may also be exposed again, like the skeleton of a 13-meter-long herbivorous dinosaur dating back 80 million years, discovered in the ‘State of Minas Gerais.