Casa de Ferro

The Casa de Ferro was made in Belgium, shipped out in pieces and assembled in Maputo in 1892 as a residence for the district governor, an entire house of iron plate. It was never lived in - iron in tropical sun turns a building into an oven - and has served instead as offices for a series of institutions. The design is often attributed to Gustave Eiffel, which is repeated everywhere and has never been documented. It stands on the square beside the botanical gardens and is admired from outside.

History

Prefabricated iron buildings were fashionable in the late 19th century because they could be shipped in pieces and put together far away. This one was built in Belgium, bought by the Portuguese colonial government and reassembled in 1892 in what was then Lourenço Marques as the residence of the district governor; it was never lived in and has served as the seat of various institutions (Wikipedia, Casa de Ferro).

The main sights

• The iron construction - a complete house built from prefabricated metal plate.
• The 1892 assembly - shipped from Belgium and put together on site.
• The square - Praca da Independencia with the cathedral and city hall around it.
• The disputed attribution - the Eiffel claim, widely repeated and unproven.

When to go

May to September is the cooler dry season and the most comfortable for walking the centre. The building is generally viewed from outside. Summer from November to March is hot and humid.

What to expect

The interior is not normally open and the visit is a look from the pavement. The Eiffel attribution is repeated by guides as fact and is not established. The building is small and takes ten minutes.

Nearby

Tunduru Botanical Gardens are alongside, and the central market is a short walk.

Key facts