Sao Paulo Cultural Activity
Come, Learn, and Be Inspired!

Sao Paulo cultural activity abounds in all corners of the city – from its architecture, to museums, to theatres – in a city of 17 million people, there’s bound to be more than enough culture to go around! But how did the city get its start?

Sao Paulo was actually founded in 1554 by two Jesuit priests as they traversed through the wilds of Brazil, on a missionary journey to convert native inhabitants to Catholicism. It was a relatively unimportant town until later in the 1600s, when explorers known as the Bandierantes used the city as a springboard for their explorations after gold and gemstones. During this time, their journeys greatly expanded Sao Paulo’s territory, and in 1711, Sao Paulo became an official city.

Now, the city is full of diversity – Portuguese, Brazilians, Japanese, French – and many of Sao Paulo cultural activity locations reflect this. For example, some Sao Paulo museums of interest are: the Museum of the Portuguese Language, which educates visitors on the shifting diversity and fluid nature of language, or the Sao Paulo Museum of Art, which has gathered an extensive collection of art from Latin America since the second World War. The Japanese Immigration museum tells the story of Sao Paulo’s Asian population, while the Museu do Ipiranga was built to celebrate the history of the city.

Sao Paulo is also home to some of the most incredible examples of Brazilian secular and religious architecture. The Cathdral de Se is the city’s most well-recognized and famous building, which actually took four decades to build! It is the largest church in Sao Paulo, and can seat up to 8,000 people. The Praca de Se is a Sao Paulo cultural activity square located right next to the Cathedral, and is considered to be the centre of the city.

As for secular architecture, the Banespa Building, also known as the Altino Arantes Building, is the most important skyscraper in Sao Paulo. From the top observation deck, visitors can see all of the city’s landmarks, as well as many of the neighbouring areas! In addition, the building houses a museum chronicling the 100-year history of the Banespa – the Bank of the State of Sao Paulo. The Edificio Copan, designed by Brazilian architect Oscar Neimeyer, is another great example of Sao Paulo cultural activity: located in the Centro area of town, the building shape appears as though it is moving although standing still, creating an impressive visual display when combined with the smaller buildings around it.

Sao Paulo Anniversary
At over 450 years old, Sao Paulo anniversary celebrations are not something to be missed. On January 25th, everyone stops working and celebrates the official birthday of their beloved city!

Bienal de Arte de Sao Paulo
Experience the sights and sounds of art and architecture at the Bienal de Arte de Sao Paulo, held every two years in the Parque do Ibirapuera. International presentations, and more!

Bienal do Livro de Sao Paulo
Book lovers should definitely not want to miss the Bienal do livro de Sao Paulo! New titles, publishers with great discounts, and tons of paper and book exhibits are truly a sight to behold!

Mostra Internacional de Sao Paulo
Sao Paulo may be a city for business, but it doesn’t have to be boring! Attend one of the hundreds of Mostra Internacional de Sao Paulo that are held annually in Brazil’s most industrious city!

Sao Paulo Mostra Internacional de Cinema
Attend the Sao Paulo Mostra Internacional de Cinema and see some of the best and newest studio and independent films that Brazil and the rest of the world has to offer on the big screen!

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