Pateo do Collegio - Meet The School Yard Where São Paulo Was Born

The School Yard or Pátio do Colégio (in Portuguese) or Pateo do Collegio (in Old Portuguese) is where São Paulo was born and dates back from 1554, when this gigantic city was established by the priest José de Anchieta.

When the first Portuguese colonizers arrived in the early 1500s there was no interest in establishing villages in the territory where São Paulo is currently located. Firstly, because it was too far from the coast and there was no point in constructing a fortress or a harbor for the same reason. And on the second hand, it had a way too complicated access through land due to the fact that those lands were 800 meters above sea level, which made it perfect for another activity (dramatic pause): a school to convert the indigenous into Christians without the supervision of the Portuguese crown.

 

São Paulo is Born - a Brief Story of São Paulo and Pateo do Collegio

January 25, 1555 was the day of the city's formal establishment. The Saint Paul's conversion, which gave origin to the capital's name, also occurred on the same day. The Jesuit college was housed in an extended version of the house in December 1556.

In 1759 the Former Secretary of the Kingdom of Portugal chose to drive out the Jesuits. Later the Pateo do Collegio was transformed into the Government Palace, which stood from 1765 to 1908.
It was not until 1932 that the location was used for its intended purpose that it was transformed again into the Education Department. The Society of Jesus started to work on rebuilding the school in 1954, and it wasn't completed until 1979 when the Beato Anchieta Church and the Padre Anchieta Museum were established.

In summary, São Paulo was first nothing more than a Christian School intended to convert indigenous people. After being taken by the Portuguese Kingdom, it received more attention, but mainly for the coffee production. Later, after a massive migration towards São Paulo it slowly became what it is right now - an enormous city with a population of over 12 million people.

Indigenous Monument at the School Yard.

 

 

 

 

Coffee Tree at the School Yard.

 

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Pateo do Collegio Nowadays

The complex now hosts a number of cultural events. The Museum, which consists of seven rooms, features, among other things, collections of holy art, a photo gallery, indigenous goods, a baptismal font, an old Anchieta chapel, and a 16th-century model of São Paulo.

Along with taking part in the mass held by Jesuits, visitors can also visit the Padre Antonio Vieira Library, which houses a priceless collection of historical books. Every third Sunday of the month, the "Vem pro Pateo no Domingo" project features classical music performances, seminars, courses, and workshops for crafts and painting.

Visitord can visit the yard for free and see one of the very first and original walls that still stands, but for the museum it is necessary to pay for the ticket, which can be bought for a tiny fee. But the small chapel also has a free entry where you can see Priest Anchieta's femur displayed.

Original Wall still stands.

 

 

 

 

View to the historical center from the School Yard.

 

It is open daily (apart from Sun and Mon) from 9 am to 4:45 pm.
For more information, access: https://www.pateodocollegio.com.br/

How to get there: It is a 5 minutes walk from Sé Station in the Blue Line.

Address: Praça Pateo do Collegio, 2 - Centro Histórico de São Paulo, São Paulo - SP, 01016-040

It is a great treasure for São Paulo to know exactly where and when the city was established, something reserved for few cities. Furthermore, São Paulo is so interesting as its history, check it out our definitive free things to do guide: Ultimate Best Things To Do in São Paulo Guide (Spending Nothing Or Almost) and discover its secrets.