[1] The institute was founded by Olavo Egydio Setúbal and created under the Law nº 7505, of 3 October 1986.

[3] Itaú Cultural holds the program Rumos for cultural research, cataloguing manifestations in visual arts, film, dance, literature, theater, and music, among others.

It also organizes the Emoção Art.ficial biennial of art and technology and the Enciclopédia Itaú Cultural online encyclopedia.

The institute holds two permanent exhibitions: Brasiliana, presenting paintings, drawings, engravings, maps and documents depicting Brazil from the arrival of the colonists, and Numismática, exhibiting gold coins and bars produced as far back as the time of Portuguese rule in Brazil and as recent as the present day.

[4] A wall with 300 engravings on one of the floors, regarding the Brazilian flora and fauna, is part of the exhibition.