‘Independence or death!’ cried Portuguese prince Dom Pedro IV who became Brazilian emperor Dom Pedro I, breaking free from Portuguese rule on this very spot in 1822. To commemorate the occasion, the ornate Museu do Ipiranga (official name: Museu Paulista) was built in 1890 – as a museum, not the palace of local lore – in the style of Versailles. The museum gardens were completed in 1975, and feature topiaries of azalea and boxwood, shaded by royal palms and cypresses. The regal air of the gardens is kept real with open-air rock and jazz concerts, hosted here every couple of months.