a building strongly inspired by the English neo-Palladian style, with Luso-Brazilian touches. The arrival in Brazil of the French Artistic Mission in 1816 was a crucial point in the diffusion of neoclassical ideals from the capital, encouraged by the need to reorganize Rio's urban plan after the arrival of the Portuguese royal family. The architect coming with the Mission, Grandjean de Montigny, became Professor of Architecture at the Royal School of Sciences, Arts and Crafts, founded by King John IV in 1816. Still during the colonial period, Grandjean designed the Comércio Square in Rio, built between 1819 and 1820, a building with a grandiose dome centered-plan. He also designed the school's main building, inaugurated only in 1826, considered a pure expression of French neoclassicism in its design, with a symmetrical façade and a great centralized portal in Ionic order, the only element that has survived until today, installed in the Botanical Garden of Rio de Janeiro. Although he built little of what he designed, Grandjean's architectural classes trained several architects who played an important role in affirming the neoclassical style throughout the Empire period. Furniture in Colonial Brazil As Brazil was a Portuguese colony, it is natural that the production of carpentry (with special attention to the furniture pieces) is an offshoot of the traditional Portuguese furniture. Although the material used was legitimately Brazilian, the people responsible for the pieces were always Portuguese, or when born in Brazil of Portuguese or mixed descent. The Portuguese furniture developed in Brazil was simple and unpretentious, that is, only the essentials to perform the function of the object (as examples: small oratories, beds, chairs, tables and arks). The simplicity of the first pieces of the settlers followed as one of the outstanding characteristics of the Brazilian house from that period on. But, even though these pieces of furniture were simple and unpretentious, they were well crafted, not only because the tradition of the trade was to develop them in this capricious way, but also because the carpentry officers and helpers were often from the house itself (some being slaves whose skills were discovered), who worked without haste and who did not aim for profit, only "the pleasure of doing it well". Brazilian furniture, that is, Portuguese furniture made in Brazil, followed the evolution of furniture in all European countries. The "fashions" were all imported, reaching the wealthier classes first, and were later vulgarized