Curiosities and Catholic Traditions Blend at the Sao Paulo Museum de arte Sacra

The Sao Paulo Museum de arte Sacra is the kind of place that is perfect for visitors who wish to learn more about the religious history of this diverse city, specifically the Catholic history in relation to its artistic progress and development. And perhaps even more helpful for the non-native visitor, this is one of the smaller museums of the city that actually posts information about their collection in English! They also offer an English-speaking tour guide to help you understand what you’re seeing.

The Sacred Arts Museum here in Sao Paulo is set inside the grounds of a centuries-old monastery, the Nossa Senhora da Luz convent, defying the encroachment of the surrounding city as it is set along a busy road. Founded in 1774, the monastery still holds a place for some monks and worshipers within Sao Paulo – the Museum is off to the side in the monastery enclosure, and is actually part of a church where city workers still come to pray and pay their respects to the saints

Inside, you’ll find that the Sao Paulo Museum de arte Sacra is packed to the brim with colorful figures of saints in both clay, metal, and wooden form, along with plenty of Virgin Mary icons from as far back as the 17th century until today. The pieces come from churches all across Brazil, and there are also a number of brilliantly shined silver processional crosses and monstrances in gold – in total, the collection boasts 11,000 items, including terracotta masks, sacred jewelry, and other liturgical pieces no longer in use.

There are several standout items, if only for their irregularity – a codfish crate from the 1950s that was made into an oratory; a very strange and surprisingly life-sized statue of Saint George wearing a full suit of armor and sporting a Spanish mustache; and another life-sized statue of Saint Peter wearing the Pope’s garb, three crosses, and the traditional beehive Pope hat. These pieces are made even more intriguing when one considers that they were actually used in churches during the 17th or 18th centuries, before being donated to the Sao Paulo Museum de arte Sacra!

Opening hours for the Sao Paulo Museum de arte Sacra are from Tuesday to Friday between 11am and 6pm, and on Saturday and Sunday between 10am and 7pm. The address for the museum, should you choose to arrive by taxi, is Avenida Tiradentes 676 in the Luz district of Sao Paulo. For further information, the front desk will take calls at (11)3326-1373. The cost to enter the museum is quite small, and all proceeds go toward restoration and conservation work either at the museum or inside the monastery itself.

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