Visit the Oldest Museum in the City – The Sao Paulo Museum Paulista!

The enormous collection at the Sao Paulo Museum Paulista / Museum do Ipiranga dates from the period between the mid-19th century and the early 20th century, focusing on the social characteristics of that time and the historical events and importance of those years for Brazil. The museum itself is situated at the ‘birthplace’ of Brazil’s victory for independence – Don Pedro I of Portugal declared the independence of Brazil in 1822 on this very spot.

Since it was the first museum of any kind to ever be constructed in Sao Paulo – it was built in 1890 as a monument to Brazilian independence and became a museum only 5 years later – the construction of the building is reminiscent of a classical European palace. The style is Neo-Classical with gardens in the front, evoking a sense of ‘Versailles’ landscaping, with wilder and more abstract gardens in the back.

The Sao Paulo Museum Paulista is known for its dramatic display of Brazilian history, and although there are no English signs in the museum, the exhibits tell the story by their own appearance – wordlessly conveying the importance of the event in 1822 for the whole of Latin America. Visitors can watch the development of Sao Paulo in the 19th century, while there are also a number of important pieces of Brazilian art scattered through the museum that date to this period.

The upstairs of the museum is referred to as the ‘Grand Salon’, and this is where the Sao Paulo Museum Paulista / Museum do Ipiranga houses one of the most famous paintings in all of Brazil: the canvas called ‘Independence or Death’ by Pedro Americo. The rest of the museum consists of such things as furniture from the 19th and early 20th century, various items of clothing from this time, as well as basic household items.

Behind the museum, visitors may see the original Monument to Independence that stood here before the actual museum building was constructed, while the garden is a lovely place to spend time on a warm day – be warned however, this is a very popular spot on weekends and you may have difficulty finding a place to sit! Yet regardless of the attendance, the Sao Paulo Museum Paulista is an intriguing look at a country’s development from the people’s own point of view. Hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 9am to 5pm. Hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 9am to 5pm, and the grounds are closed on statutory holidays.

From sao paulo museum paulista back to sao paulo attractions