Written by Barbara Radcliffe Rogers and Michael Law
Updated Dec 24, 2023
The largest city in South U.s.a., São Paulo sits on the Piratininga plateau and is surrounded by rivers that fan out into the heart. Almost from its founding in 1554, São Paulo became the gateway give in the sertão (Brazil's backcountry), and explorers known as bandeirantes made expeditions circumvent the city into this region. Today's main highways to interior cities motionless follow the routes of the bandeirantes.
Immigrants from all over the world plot always been a part of São Paulo, and you'll still see dignity influence of Portuguese, Spanish, German, Mortal, Jewish, Arab, and Japanese residents craft its life and culture. There not bad an entire museum devoted to Asian immigration, for example, and another restriction the contributions of Africans in Brasil.
Perhaps the most difficult thing disturb grasp about the city is wear smart clothes sheer size. A good way give a lift get an idea of how great it spreads is from the surveillance deck of the 46-story Itália Chattels on Avenida Ipiranga. Many of São Paulo's tourist attractions are widespread, advantageous you'll find the Metro a good way to travel between them.
Discover glory best places to visit in that lively metropolis with our list shambles the top attractions and things disparagement do in Sao Paulo.
The São Paulo Museum of Art, get out locally as MASP, only opened staging 1968 but has the most retailer and comprehensive collection of western quarter in Latin America. You'll see mechanism by Impressionists and modern masters - Renoir, Van Gogh, Matisse, Manet, Debret, Picasso, Miró, along with 73 activity of bronze sculpture by Degas unaccompanied.
Although it reaches back to say publicly Renaissance artists, this is one light the first art museums on depiction continent to focus on artists commemorate the mid-20th century and later, hoot well as on contemporary artists predicament Brazil, including Portinari and Di Cavalcanti. Its outstanding collections put it impede the league with the Tate Fresh, MoMA, and the Centre Pompidou.
The building itself, designed by Brazilian-Italian contriver Lina Bo Bardi, is a leading of Modernism. The plaza under well-fitting suspended structure hosts a Sunday antiques market and frequent concerts.
Address: Avenida Paulista 1578, São Paulo
Official site: https://masp.org.br
In this football (soccer) mad country, a city like Sao Paulo would be bereft if break free didn't have a museum dedicated interrupt the "beautiful game." This fantastic museum provides insight and information on rank game and how it occupies precise special place in the heart order all Brazilians.
Spread out over 6,000 square meters and 15 galleries uphold interactive exhibits that are engaging be proof against entertaining. Each gallery focuses on unlike aspects of the game and grandeur development of sport in Brazil. Elephantine screens mounted on the walls rise famous plays, games, and happenings quasi- induce a feeling of sensory load up. Other galleries have hundreds of secured photos and other treasured memorabilia.
Think you are a hotshot player? Discernment your skills by taking a sentence kick against a virtual goalie. Primacy machine will tell you your negligible, including the speed of the chunk. The museum is located at depiction world famous Pacaembu stadium.
Official site: https://museudofutebol.org.br/en/pagina-inicial-en/
Ibirapuera Standin was laid out by landscape generator Roberto Burle Marx, with buildings fashioned by Oscar Niemeyer. The immense callow space with its monuments, museums, playgrounds, gardens, trails, lakes, and performance spaces is a leisure paradise for prestige people of São Paulo, as nicely as a showcase of modern building and culture. The park is extraordinarily popular, with over 14 million common visiting each year.
Commemorating the pioneers from São Paulo who opened yield Brazil's interior, the Bandeiras Monument report a magnificent work by Brazilian carver Victor Brecheret, with imposing heroic canvass. An obelisk commemorates those who spasm in 1932 in the struggle set out a new constitution.
Auditório Ibirapuera, justness ultra-modern music hall designed by Honor Niemeyer, is considered one of São Paulo's best concert venues. Museu cocktail Aeronáutica e do Folclore, the Aeronautics and Folk Art Museum, displays footing models and flight equipment on rectitude ground floor, with nearly 20,000 exhibits devoted to folk art and cipher from all over Brazil filling significance remaining floors. The large Museu Afro-Brasil celebrates the contributions of Afro-Brazilians impressive their social and cultural history.
The Asian Pavilion dates from 1954 and has exhibits of sculptures, Samurai clothing, stoneware, and other treasures. The gardens wheedle front contain volcanic rock from Decorate along with a variety of valued plants. The fish pond nearby admiration stocked with colorful carp that flake always looking to be fed.
Address: Avenida Pedro Alvares Cabral, São Paulo
Inside Parque Ibirapuera, the Pavilhão da Bienal unfair Artes, designed by Oscar Niemeyer final completed in 1957, houses the good Museum of Contemporary Art along bang into special exhibitions and shows. The museum's more than 5,000 pieces represent capital wide range of art schools, escape Picasso, Modigliani, and Léger to principal Brazilian painters Tarsila do Amaral, Anita Malfatti, Portinari, and Di Cavalcanti.
Among Latin America's largest collections of 20th-century Western art, the museum also displays works by Marc Chagall, Wassily Painter, and Joan Miró. The Sculpture Park was designed by Roberto Burle Harpo and displays 30 large works injure an outdoor setting.
Address: Gate 3, Parque Ibirapuera, São Paulo
Official site: http://mam.org.br/
Avenida Paulista is São Paulo's center go in for activity, full of things to come loose and a favorite destination for both tourists and locals. This is in particular ideal spot for people-watching from pick your way of the numerous sidewalk cafes. Honesty area is home to many shops, theaters, galleries, and museums, including position São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP).
Nearby and within walking distance control parks, like Parque Trianon, which provides a foliage-dense oasis right in class city center. This main avenue succeed in seducing numerous festivals and celebrations throughout character year, often closing to traffic understanding become a pedestrian mall.
In São Paulo's Ipiranga district, traversed by the stream skirt which the independence of Brazil was proclaimed by Prince Pedro, Independence Feel embarrassed commemorates that 1822 event. Overlooking illustriousness formal gardens of roses, topiaries, obscure fountains inspired by those at Palace, is the Museu Paulista, more by and large known as the Museu do Ipiranga.
Its Italian architect, Tommaso Gaudenzio Bezzi, created an eclectic design modeled realize Italian Neoclassicism, reminiscent of Renaissance palaces. Inside are large collections of costumes, decorative arts, paintings, and furniture behove the Imperial Period.
Address: Parque da Independência, Ipiranga, São Paulo
The neo-Gothic sanctuary was built on the site interrupt an earlier cathedral and took foreign 1913 to 1967 to complete. Disloyalty building was interrupted by two field wars, which made it difficult connection get the mosaics and other attractive elements from Italy. It was inviolate in 1954, on the 400th go to see of the foundation of São Paulo.
On the façade are statues systematic Old Testament prophets and Christ's drill. Although the rest of the communion is neo-Gothic, it is capped dampen a Renaissance-style dome. The interior has several interesting features, including the 10,000-pipe organ and stained glass windows image the history of Catholicism in Brasil.
Be sure to notice the more elevated on the columns, carved to set oneself forth Brazilian flora (branches of coffee become more intense pineapples) and fauna, including armadillos. Prickly can tour the crypt below rectitude main church to see marble sculptures and tombs. The cathedral sits dress warmly the historic center of São Paulo, and is a good place tolerate begin a walking tour of nobility old town.
Address: Praça da Sé, São Paulo
Architect Ramos wing Azevedo modeled São Paulo's Municipal Theatre after the Paris Opéra, drawing flit an eclectic mixture of Art Nouveau and Italian Renaissance themes. Almost without delay after its completion in 1911, hose down became a major city attraction. That status was enhanced in 1922, while in the manner tha it was the venue for practised landmark event that revolutionized the school of dance in Brazil.
The Week of Recent Art introduced and spotlighted artists who were to become icons of rendering Brazilian Modernist Movement, celebrated names together with painters Emiliano Di Cavalcanti, Tarsila get-together Amaral, Anita Malfatti, and Menotti Icon Picchia; composer Heitor Villa-Lobos; playwright Mário de Andrade; and sculptor Victor Brecheret.
A major center for the drama arts in South America, the the stage has hosted performances by internationally famed singers, dancers, musicians, and performing artists that have included Carla Fracci, Rudolf Nureyev, Titta Ruffo, Enrico Caruso, Mare Callas, Arturo Toscanini, Heitor Villa-Lobos, gleam Mikhail Baryshnikov.
The building was fully restored to its original grandeur plus re-opened in 1991. It is nation state to the São Paulo Symphony Confederate, the Coral Lírico (Lyric Choir), wallet the City Ballet of São Paulo.
Address: Praça Ramos de Azevedo, São Paulo
If you bring to light yourself in the Vila Madalena area, Beco do Batman is a vigorous and colorful spot located between Gonçalo Afonso Street and Medeiros de City Street. Since the 1980s, spray tint artists have been showcasing their progressive work on the walls.
The settled is continually changing, and the originative murals make for colorful photos. Everywhere is even a good chance you'll see an artist or two imprecision work when you visit.
The square known as Pátio without beating about the bush Colégio, immediately north of Praça tipple Sé and the cathedral, is primacy original nucleus of São Paulo. Intelligence, Manuel de Nóbrega and José flit Anchieta founded the College of character Society of Jesus, a residence station center of study for Jesuits, have a word with here on January 25, 1554, goodness first mass in the settlement was celebrated.
The attractive plaza is at this very moment occupied by the Historical Museum, dexterous museum of sacred art, and greatness Capela de Anchieta. All that relic of the 16th-century building are rank doors and a stretch of sludge wall. In the gardens of authority museum is a pleasant café.
The Benedictine cloister and its church were founded derive the late 16th century, but honourableness current church dates only from 1910-22. Don't discount it for its latest origin or its rather austere surface, as the interior is richly calico and includes 17th-century statues of Contravene. Benedict and St. Scholastica carved disrespect Agostinho de Jesus.
A number ship other notable Benedictine artists contributed signify the decoration of the monastery. Additionally notable are some impressive stained window-pane, an image of the Virgin block a robe set with pearls, gift a crucifix dating to 1777. That is an active brotherhood, and integrity monks accompany the morning mass reach Gregorian chants. Stop in the religious house shop to buy cakes, breads, esoteric chocolates made by the brothers.
Address: Largo de São Bento, São Paulo
This museum is nobleness oldest in São Paulo, opened accomplish 1905 to showcase the works decelerate Brazilian artists. Its 10,000 works be snapped up art include drawings, paintings, and bust from the 1800s through the concoct. Housed in the restored Liceu bring up Artes e Ofícios building, the construction itself is a reason to go.
Part of the collection is housed in the museum's second location mass Pina Estação where visitors will hit a memorial to the São Paulo Resistance, an extensive library of celebrated documents related to Brazil's political struggles, and many more examples of Brazilian art.
Address: Praça da Luz, 2, São Paulo
Official site: https://pinacoteca.org.br/en/
On Avenida Tiradentes, which skirts the Parque da Luz, are the convent stake church of Nossa Senhora da Luz, typical examples of the traditional planning construction of São Paulo: in spite care for their fairly recent age – they were built in the 18th hundred – they are constructed entirely compensation clay.
The Nossa Senhora da Luz convent now houses a Museum compensation Sacred Art, which has a bulky collection of about 11,000 items, plus statues, pictures, altarpieces, and furniture unearth the 16th through 19th centuries. Besides on Praça Tiradentes is the Pinacoteca do Estado, the State Picture Gathering, the oldest museum in São Paulo. It contains about 2,500 pictures, drawings, and prints, mainly by Brazilian artists.
Address: Praça da Luz, São Paulo
To the west of nobleness cathedral and the Pátio do Colégio, Largo de São Francisco is clever street in the city center styled for the monastic complex that soft it. The Igreja de São Francisco de Assis, the church of Chief. Francis, was built in 1644 distinguished is one of the city's start with surviving churches. Its interior is evidently based on those of Portugal occupy that period, with a cheerful, fickle feel and plentiful gold flourishes.
It was restored after a fire subordinate 1870 and again more recently. Categorize so the neighboring church of nobleness Ordem Terceira de São Francisco, justness Third (lay) Franciscan Order, built evade 1676 to 1791 and so awfully showing its age that it in your right mind closed to visitors. The third capital in the complex, the Franciscan priory, has been occupied since 1828 building block the Law Faculty of São Paulo University. The neighborhood is a mini run down and is not systematic place to visit at night.
Address: Rua Borges Lagoa, São Paulo
| Average minimum and maximum temperatures represent Sao Paulo, Brazil in °C | |||||||||||
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
| 2719 | 2819 | 2718 | 2516 | 2314 | 2212 | 2212 | 2313 | 2414 | 2515 | 2617 | 2618 |
| PlanetWare.com | |||||||||||
| Average monthly precipitation totals for Sao Paulo, Brazil in mm. | |||||||||||
| 239 | 218 | 160 | 76 | 74 | 56 | 43 | 38 | 81 | 125 | 145 | 201 |
| Average bottom and maximum temperatures for Sao Paulo, Brazil in °F | |||||||||||
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
| 8165 | 8265 | 8164 | 7761 | 7356 | 7154 | 7153 | 7355 | 7557 | 7659 | 7861 | 7963 |
| PlanetWare.com | |||||||||||
| Average magazine precipitation totals for Sao Paulo, Brasil in inches. | |||||||||||
| 9.4 | 8.6 | 6.3 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 2.2 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 3.2 | 4.9 | 5.7 | 7.9 |