São Paulo – The city is made up of charming hills. Some large trees and other smaller ones make it pleasurable for tourists to walk along its streets on warm days. The air seems purer as there are not many cars. Seafood restaurants, food from Minas Gerais and even Germany are among the thousands of addresses. And, strolling around the place, it is no surprise to run into the main treasure of Embu das Artes: the art fair, in the centre of the city.
Embu das Artes has become the right point for the residents of São Paulo seeking leisure while they buy trinkets for their homes or for tourists coming from afar to take colourful objects and typical Brazilian art home. At the fair in Embu you may find everything, from those small dishcloths that look like Granny’s work to handmade leather sandals and wooden toys, sculptures, lighting fixtures, hammocks and pictures. Rustic wooden furniture is also abundant there.
The fair is very attractive for buyers. On Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, there are stalls in the centre as well as the shops on Domingos Paschoal, Joaquim Santana and Nossa Senhora do Rosário streets, all close by. During the week, the stalls are not there, but the shops, which are not few, are open during working hours. Prices are not exorbitant and there are products for all pockets.
But, if your wallet is not very full, Embu das Artes Fair is also a nice place to spend time, fill your eyes with the beauty of the artists’ work and sit on a bench in the square, to let time flow past, or go to one of the charming restaurants. One is Empório São Pedro, a mixture of art and food, an antique shop and restaurant. The world cuisine is in the hands of chef Guilherme Manoel. The restaurant is on Viela Lavadeiras.
Embu das Artes has 240,000 inhabitants. The city’s history is entwined with art, as it was built around a church, Nossa Senhora do Rosário Chapel, in 1628. The chapel, to which a convent was later added, brought many artist priests to the region to decorate it. The priests tried to establish a settlement there, but as the land was not good for coffee plantation, it only gained strength once the region turned to tourism. The city was established in 1959.
The chapel and convent, in fact, may be visited and are among the main attractions of central Embu das Artes, as they house the Sacred Art Museum, with baroque art. There are also another two chapels usually visited by tourists, Santa Cruz and São Lázaro, as well as the Cultural Centre, Sakai Memorial, established in honour of one of the main terracotta sculptors of Brazil, Tadakiyo Sakai, who was of Japanese origin and who lived in Embu, as well as the Indian Museum. There are also purely leisure attractions, like the Rizzo Lake Park, with a lake and much greenery.
Embu das Artes also has inns, hotels and attracts many foreigners. Walking down the city streets, it is not uncommon to meet people speaking Spanish and English. People from other states in Brazil also visit the site, but what is most common there is seeing large groups of people from São Paulo seeking the fair for leisure on the weekend. In total, almost 500 artists show their products and sell their work in Embu das Artes, according to figures disclosed by the city hall.
Service
Embu das Artes Fair
Saturdays, Sundays and holidays
Further information: (+55 11) 4704-6565 / 4781-5971
Site: www.embu.sp.gov.br/secretarias/turismo/Feira.php
*Translated by Mark Ament
