The heart of Pedro I arrives in Brazil for the Bicentennial of Independence

• Precious blood A Dutch art detective claims to have recovered one of the most sacred relics stolen from the Church

The heart of

arrived in

on Monday from

, requested by the Government of President

, to commemorate the country's Bicentennial of Independence, which will take place on September 7.

Preserved in formalin for 187 years, the heart of the first emperor of Brazil was transported from

on a

accompanied by three Portuguese authorities, as well as a representative of the Brazilian Government.

The organ, which left Portugal for the first time and arrived in the country inside a golden urn, was received at the Brasilia air base with the honors of a head of state and taken under a strong security scheme to the

, the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

At the Foreign Ministry, the relic of "Don Pedro I" will be exhibited starting Thursday as part of the tributes for the 200 years of the country's independence and will return to

on September 8.

"Called a liberator, this legitimate icon of Brazilian independence was a leader far ahead of his time, a visionary and courageous leader who publicly challenged the court of the metropolis in favor of the interests of Brazil," said the Minister of Defense,

, a member of the reception committee, receiving the relic.

"Today we owe the existence of Brazil as a free nation to the daring decision made by Pedro I and to the dedication of so many others who gave themselves to that ideal," he added.

The then Prince Pedro was responsible for the Independence of Brazil by declaring on September 7, 1822 that the country would no longer continue to be a colony of Portugal and was proclaimed Emperor Pedro I of Brazil.

The emperor's decision not to return to Portugal to take over as king of that country allowed Brazil to obtain its independence without the need for a war.

This is not the first time that the mortal remains of the emperor have been presented to commemorate the independence of Brazil, since in 1972, during the dictatorship, part of the skeleton of Pedro I was exhibited in several cities in the country before being deposited in the Monument to Independence, in

.

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