Built between 1897 and 1903, the Indiani Mansion was home to a family of Italian immigrants from the city of Cremona. Over the years, it became a symbol of Italian colonization in the Paraíba Valley.
The century-old townhouse located in Quiririm, Taubaté, was the first brick house in the region, reminiscent of the architecture of northern Italy at the time. The family that owned it, which had its own brickworks, brought the technique from their country of origin. The architecture of the mansion still features aligned windows and a sober façade.
Another important architectural detail is the brick with inscriptions in Italian, which indicate the date the property was built. It has become a record engraved into the very structure of the house and a point of interest for visitors.
The Indiani family arrived in Brazil in 1888 and was among the 40 immigrant families coming from Italy. Their goal was to work on the coffee plantation in Taubaté, at the Barreiro farm. They moved to the Quiririm neighborhood, where they devoted themselves to agricultural activities such as rice farming, rope making, and brick production.
They only moved into the townhouse in 1903, living there until 1958. From then on, the mansion went through a long period of neglect, falling into ruins and earning a reputation as haunted among the neighborhood children.
Discover the Museum of Italian Immigration in Quiririm!
In 1985, the mansion became a public utility property and, since then, has received due historical and cultural recognition. Restoration took place from 1995 to 1997, when the mansion officially became the Quiririm Museum of Italian Immigration .
Currently, the museum also serves as the headquarters of the Circolo Italiano di Taubaté, the organization responsible for preserving the site since 2011.
The choice of this mansion to house a museum so important to the region’s Italian community was no accident. The property is symbolic because, in addition to having housed a family at the beginning of Italian immigration, it bears physical traces of that culture in its structure.
Basílio Indiani, the head of the family, covered the walls with paintings that evoked his homeland and portrayed his nostalgia and longing for Italy—the country he left behind in the hope of prospering in Brazil.
What to do at Casarão Indiani?
The museum takes visitors on a journey through a day in the daily life of Italian immigrants in the region. There is a photo exhibition documenting their arrival in Brazil, the construction of the neighborhood, rice farming, and daily life in general.
In addition, you can see antique objects and furnishings, including household items, clothing, and 20th-century furniture. There’s even a reconstructed classroom from that era! Visitors can also get a close look at machinery and references to agricultural production, the rope factory, and the pottery workshop of the time.
Another highlight is the cultural activities organized by the museum, such as monthly gatherings and events related to Italian culture and the local community. The Circolo Italiano di Taubaté has also offered Italian language classes and initiatives related to the history of Italian immigration in the city.
The museum is located on Avenida Líbero Indiani, in the Quiririm district. Admission is free, and it is open Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on weekends from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
