On 27 November 1807, facing the imminent threat of Napoleon Bonaparte's advancing forces, the Portuguese royal family and their court of nearly 15,000 individuals undertook an unprecedented maritime exodus from Lisbon to the colony of Brazil.
This audacious move, orchestrated under the shadow of urgency and peril, transformed Rio de Janeiro into a temporary seat of European monarchy, altering the colony's trajectory by introducing royal governance and European cultural influences.
The decision not only preserved Portugal’s sovereignty but also set Brazil on a path towards eventual independence, making this journey a pivotal chapter in Lusophone history.
