Ilha Fiscal, an island whose claim to fame is that it was the site of the last ball hosted by the Brazilian empire in 1889. A little green castle surrounded by coconut and palm trees on a small island in Guanabara Bay, this picturesque palace was designed in 1881 in neo-gothic style by engineer Adolfo del Vecchio, and inaugurated on April 27, 1889. Today it is a cultural center housing temporary and permanent exhibitions that portray the history of this miniature palace and the Brazilian Navy. (Ref: http://www.washingtondiplomat.com/June-05/c4_06_05.html)