To celebrate the diverse groups that built the cultural heritage of São Paulo and helped shape the city's identity, the Municipal Secretariat of Culture will host the Jornada do Patrimônio (Heritage Journey) on August 18 and 19, under the theme "One City, Many Hands."
The event offers a free, diverse program aimed at connecting the public with historical and emotionally significant spaces that define the city's history. In total, 320 activities will take place, including tours, lectures, workshops, building visits, guided tours, and book launches.
"In this edition, the program is organized by region, highlighting communities such as Northeastern Brazilians, Germans, Italians, Japanese, Arabs, Portuguese, and many other immigrants. This plural collaboration is visible in the architecture, gastronomy, commerce, and daily customs of the state capital, all of which can be experienced during the event," highlights André Sturm, Municipal Secretary of Culture.
See the highlights of this year's Jornada do Patrimônio program below.
Workshops
Wattle and Daub (Taipa de Mão / Pau-a-Pique)
Participants will have the opportunity to engage with traditional earth building techniques, learning about their origins, their significance in early São Paulo, and their contemporary applications.
Location: Centro Cultural Penha (Largo do Rosário, 20 - Penha de Franca, São Paulo - SP)
Date: Sunday, August 19 / 10:00 AM
Duration: 1h 30m
Sampa: in Rhymes, Verses, and Prose
This workshop explores the cultural and social impact of São Paulo's hip-hop scene, examining its origins, key meeting points, and figures. Through historical documents and site visits to São Bento, Galeria do Rock, Rua 24 de Maio, and Praça Roosevelt, the activity addresses cultural and racial issues, highlighting the movement's roots in the African diaspora.
Location: Galeria Olido – Sala Azul (Av. São João, 473 - Centro, São Paulo - SP)
Date: Sunday, August 19 / 10:00 AM
Duration: 4h
Sketching Cultural Heritage
This artistic drawing workshop focuses on observing and understanding architectural heritage. Participants will sketch historical structures—legacies of the various groups that built São Paulo—during a field trip to downtown landmarks like Solar da Marquesa, Pátio do Colégio, and Catedral da Sé.
Location: Galeria Olido - Sala Azul (Av. São João, 473 - Centro, São Paulo - SP)
Date: Saturday, August 18 / 2:30 PM
Duration: 2h
City "Twister": A Giant Board Game of Consolação Heritage Sites
Right foot on Instituto Moreira Salles, left hand on Praça Dom José Gaspar, left foot on Casa Amarela, right hand on Paulista Aberta! Just like the classic game of Twister, this giant version requires flexibility to reach colorful spots on a large mat—but here, the spots represent heritage sites in São Paulo's Consolação cultural district, mapped by Instituto Moreira Salles and Ação Educativa. Test your flexibility while discovering key local landmarks. [For children]
Location: Morning: Praça Dom José Gaspar / Afternoon: Praça Roosevelt
Address: R. Dr Bráulio Gomes - República, São Paulo - SP (Praça Dom José Gaspar); Praça Franklin Roosevelt - Consolação, São Paulo - SP (Praça Roosevelt)
Date: Saturday, August 18 / 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM
Tours
My Grandmother's House: Architectural Treasure Hunt in Mooca
During a morning walk through the Mooca neighborhood, children will participate in a treasure hunt designed to draw their attention to the details and curiosities of typical local residential architecture. Combining curiosity and memory, the activity allows both children and adults to rediscover visual elements that often go unnoticed in daily life.
Date: August 19, 2018
Departure Times: 10:30 AM and 2:00 PM
Meeting Point: Museu da Imigração do Estado de São Paulo
End Point: Rua Pedro de Lucena
Bicicletaipa (Rammed Earth Bike Tour)
Over a 7 km route, this bike tour connects the memory, history, and geography of three historic rammed earth (taipa) houses: Casa do Itaim, Casa Bandeirante, and Casa Sertanista.
Date: August 19, 2018
Departure Time: 9:00 AM
Meeting Point: Casa do Itaim
Curiosities and Figures of São Paulo Football in Downtown, by Charles Miller
The historic center of São Paulo holds traces of the many hands (and feet!) that shaped the city's early football clubs. Uncovering these connections is a fun challenge even for die-hard fans. For instance, which club is associated with the City Hall building? And what connects independence leader José Bonifácio to football, a sport introduced to Brazil nearly 60 years after his death? This lighthearted tour reveals these and other curiosities about the history of local football.
Date: August 19, 2018
Departure Time: 10:30 AM
Meeting Point: Viaduto do Chá, in front of the City Hall building
Monument Hunt at Buenos Aires Park
Designed for children and families, this treasure hunt uncovers the stories and meanings behind the monuments in Buenos Aires Park. The activity aims to spark interest and curiosity about São Paulo's heritage in a fun, engaging way. [For children]
Date: August 19, 2018
Departure Time: 10:30 AM
Meeting Point: "Homenagem ao Tango" Monument, access via Rua Alagoas (inside Buenos Aires Park)
From Near and Far: Arriving in Belenzinho
Belenzinho emerged in the late 19th century and became established as a working-class neighborhood in the early 20th century. Over decades of migration, its demographic shifted from European working-class immigrants to a large wave of arrivals from Northeastern Brazil in the mid-20th century, and more recently, immigrants from Bolivia, Haiti, and other nations. As a gateway to the East Zone, the neighborhood still bears traces of each group that shaped it. This tour aims to identify these traces and discuss how best to preserve them.
Date: August 18 and 19, 2018
Departure Times: Saturday, August 18 at 10:00 AM / Sunday, August 19 at 2:00 PM
Meeting Point: Belém Metro Station
Bike Tours
These guided bicycle tours share the history of local sites. Routes will cover Avenida Paulista, the historic center (Praça da Sé and Praça da República), and Ibirapuera Park.
Date: August 18 and 19, 2018
Lectures
Pacaembu and Jardins: History, Heritage Designation, and Contemporary Preservation Challenges
An analysis of São Paulo's first garden suburbs designed by Cia. City. The talk covers their development through the 20th century, the process of urban-environmental heritage listing, rising real estate values, and current threats to their preservation.
Location: Funarte (Alameda Nothmann, 1058, Campos Elíseos, São Paulo - SP)
Date: August 18, 2018
Time: 5:00 PM
Letter to Mário de Andrade
This lecture covers the social and professional circle of modern writer Mário de Andrade, including fellow writers, poets, and colleagues from the National Historic and Artistic Heritage Service (SPHAN). It will also address his study of Father Jesuíno do Monte Carmelo, featuring texts on the recent restoration of the artist's paintings at the Carmo Church in São Paulo and the Candelária Mother Church in Itu, as well as analyses of the famous Carmo Church panel in Itu. Additionally, the talk will reflect on newly discovered historical documents that significantly alter some of Andrade's interpretations of the artist and his work.
Location: Biblioteca Mário de Andrade (Rua da Consolação, 94 – Centro – São Paulo – SP)
Date: August 18 and 19, 2018 (Saturday and Sunday)
Time: 3:00 PM
Book Launches
100 Anos Vila Maria Zélia
Based on testimonies from current and former residents, this book explores the history and key events of Vila Maria Zélia since its founding in 1917. Utilizing oral history, it reconstructs daily life in this early working-class village, shedding light on the heritage-listed buildings protected by Condephaat and Conpresp. The launch event will feature a screening of the documentary *100 Anos - Vila Maria Zélia*, a photo exhibition of activities hosted by the Vila Maria Zélia Cultural Association, and a guided tour of the Memory Center.
Location: Armazém da Memória (Vila Maria Zélia) - Rua Mario Costa, 13
Date: Saturday, August 18, 2018
Time: 3:00 PM
Bixiga a Pé, by Leticia Leda Sabino
The map "Bixiga a Pé!" celebrates the historic neighborhood and its stories, transforming how people navigate it. Highlighting local history and architecture through iconic spots, the map encourages a slower, more attentive pace of walking, promoting heritage preservation. By fostering a deeper understanding of local history, it emphasizes the importance of saving these urban spaces and memories. Bixiga remains one of São Paulo's most historic, diverse, and iconic neighborhoods.
Location: Museu Memória do Bixiga - Rua dos Ingleses, 118
Date: Saturday, August 18, 2018
Time: 4:00 PM
Other Initiatives
Living Statues
A performance featuring six living statues. Set to music, each statue comes to life to share stories of the diverse groups that contributed to building São Paulo's cultural heritage.
August 12: Avenida Paulista – Casa das Rosas – 11:00 AM
August 18: Brás CPTM Station – 10:00 AM; Bixiga staircase – 12:30 PM; Praça Coronel Prestes (Municipal Historical Archive) – 2:30 PM
August 19: Penha – 10:00 AM; Casa de Cultura de Santo Amaro – 12:30 PM; Casa Bandeirante – 2:30 PM
Speaking City (Cidade que Fala)
"If São Paulo's statues, buildings, and monuments could speak, what would they tell us?" This question drives a project that reveals crucial historical narratives through real historical figures and architectural landmarks key to understanding the city's development. It explores the lives of people who played significant roles in shaping the largest metropolis in the Southern Hemisphere. The "Cidade que Fala" initiative allows visitors to use their mobile phones to listen to characters sharing stories about themselves or the locations. The project will feature 22 locations across all regions of the city on August 18 and 19.
For more information on Jornada do Patrimônio 2018, visit the official event website.
This article was written by Romullo Baratto. The translation is powered by AI.
