Date: January 8, 2023
Location: Presidential Palace, Brasilia
Restorers are now working to fix the relics
Marcela Sa, Director of the Chamber Museum:
"As soon as we entered the palace, we started collect these shards from the floor, trying to separate what is glass from what is possible protocolary gift shards. When we collected these shards, they were brought here for restoration. This process started with identification and evaluation: what procedure can be carried out. So it's not that they can't be restored but the fact that we don't know the degree of reconstitution that can be done."
Many of the items are ceremonial gifts brought by world leaders during official visits
"In a certain way the impact is incalculable, these assets represent and carry with them the history of our
parliament. Assets inside the (presidential) palace are the history of Brazilian art itself, the history of Brazil, so the loss is in some way incalculable, but fortunately we were lucky enough that the damage was very limited."
