Did you know that in Araraquara there is a slightly haunted building from 1880? Today, the Casarão do Assentamento Bela Vista do Chibarro lies in ruins, so visits are prohibited due to the risk of collapse.
But we were still able to admire the exterior façade and learn more about the history behind the former coffee plantation and , later, sugarcane mill.
Built in the 19th century, the farm was owned by Colonel Antônio Joaquim de Carvalho. He was, in addition to being a major coffee grower, a highly controversial figure of the time. He was heavily involved in the Britos lynching, a political assassination that took place in 1897 in Araraquara.
The large coffee farm was part of the so-called “black gold” era . When western São Paulo was at the height of the coffee cycle and the plantations profited greatly from slave labor.
Housed on the lower floor of the large house, the enslaved people lived literally beneath their master’s feet. Accounts indicate that the mansion was the scene of many episodes of violence perpetrated by the colonel. He even kept his enslaved people even after the Golden Law of 1888.
The severe punishments, floggings, and deaths are often linked to local legends about the mansion being haunted, due to the crimes it witnessed in the past.
The legends and mysteries of the Casarão
The most famous legend about the property began when a cameraman working on a TV report claimed to have taken a photo inside the house and, after developing the image, saw a figure in one of the windows. Some say it is Colonel Antônio himself, who died at the end of the 19th century.
After the rumor spread, influencers, TV crews, and even ghost hunters began investigating the site haunted by the “colonel’sghost.” Residents report screams, noises, and crying coming from inside the house, especially at night. They also say they see shadows at doors and windows.
Furthermore, reports say that, at midnight, it is possible to see the ghosts of enslaved people walking through the rural village, heading toward the exit, trying to escape the place.
There are also legends regarding the colonel’s treasure, as he is said to have hidden part of his fortune in gold coins within the mansion. This treasure is believed to be in a secret passage, in the basement, or in some inaccessible part of the property.
This, according to the stories, would explain the presence of the colonel’s ghost, who remained to protect his own treasure.
These stories began circulating on the internet in the 2000s, and today they fuel much of the“horror tourism.” This has turned the house into a constant backdrop for news reports and YouTube videos, as well as attracting curious visitors.
The Mansion at the Bela Vista do Chibarro Settlement today
Closed to the public and designated a municipal heritage site since 2018, public projects are planned to restore it. With an investment of approximately R$5 million, the idea is to give the mansion a cultural and tourist focus.
However, it currently stands empty and is the target of squatters and vandalism, despite the danger signs.
