The majestic Palace of the Lions (Leões Palace), built in the colonial style, is one of the most beautiful examples of French architecture of the 17th century both in Brazil and abroad.

The first building of the future famous Leões Palace was built in 1624. Before it was built, there was a Fort of the French colonizers. They constantly rebuilt it, making it more fortified and powerful. Eventually, a small beautiful house, where representatives of the French nobility lived, appeared on the territory of the Fort.

Over time, the need to defend the territories disappeared. In 1766, the Fort was replaced by a beautiful palace, decorated with columns, stucco, and porticos. At the same time, part of the old building was partially preserved. You can still see it from the front side of the palace: the red brick wall is the only part of the 17th-century Fort.

To make the new palace majestic and significant, the architects placed the coat of arms with the image of a lion's mane on the facade. They decided to expand on the "lion" topic with beautiful sculptures: lions guard the stairs leading to the palace.

Since there was no production of beautiful furniture in San Luis in the 18th century, the French brought it from Europe. Some of the decorations for this palace were made to order. The scope of the interior decoration was simply amazing.

The French colonialists wanted to impress both the locals and the representatives of countries, showing their strength, influence, and power with the help of a luxurious building. And they succeeded! The palace turned out to be truly magnificent.

Since its foundation, the palace has hosted representatives of the authorities. They not only negotiated and signed contracts but also lived there.

Today, the Palace of the Lions is the seat of the government and the residence of the local governor. His rooms are richly decorated. Many rooms have preserved antique furniture, decorative elements, and wall decoration. Some rooms have been redone in a more modern way. But the general appearance of the Palace of the Lions remained untouched.