Haute-Couture at Sao Paulo
Museum da casa brasileira

Built between 1942 and 1945, the Sao Paulo Museum da casa brasileira is a remnant of another era – a large, yellow Palladian villa that used to house one of Sao Paulo’s leading and most established families. This is where the patriarch Fabio da Silva Prado once lived, and he is remembered for his wealth and position within Sao Paulo’s upper-crust society.

After a time, the family donated their home and their artifacts collected through the ages to the public, and thus the Sao Paulo Museum da casa brasileira was born! There are plenty of things to see here for those who love antiques and high society: ornate furniture of jacaranda wood, engraved silver plates, an oil painting by Portinari, fancy porcelain dishes. Some special items that are absolutely rare gems are things like the 18th century collection of lithographs of Rio displayed along the staircase, a large collection of Portuguese silverware from the 17th and 18th centuries, a sculpture of the Madonna and child from the 15th century, and also a 15th century suit of armor.

The Solar Prado of the museum is a lovely garden area that was created as a replica of the Imperial Palace of Petropolis from Rio de Janiero. The library is also very well organized, and the video collection has documentaries from the earliest days of Brazilian and international history. One of the very unique things about the Sao Paulo Museum da casa brasileira is that all these items are housed in contemporary surroundings. Instead of leaving them in their natural settings or recreating rooms of the past, the modern white minimalist spaces certainly provide a stark contrast to the deep shades of the antique pieces kept here.

One of the most talked-about and admired things about this museum is actually not really part of the museum itself – it is the restaurant Quinta do Museu, which is housed in the estate’s kitchen area. Seating for the restaurant is indoors or outdoors, and you can choose between the old dining room or a patio with a shady rubber tree overhead. The menu here is excellent for all tastes – there are light lunches of items such as salads, sandwiches and grilled salmon – and there is a lovely selection of fare for afternoon tea. For concerned parents, there is the added bonus of a large back lawn where children can expend their energy while mom and dad have tea.

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