This museum is one of the most beautiful in São Paulo, but it is still little known by the locals. Located at the foot of the Serra da Cantareira, the Octávio Vecchi Forestry Museum is a veritable scene of dark academic aesthetics.
It was created in the late 1920s by Octávio Vecchi, an agronomist and director-general of the São Paulo State Forestry Service. When you visit, be sure to enjoy the experience as a whole, as every corner of this almost century-old museum hides a story.
What can you find at the Octávio Vecchi Forestry Museum?
It currently houses one of the largest xylotheques in South America, with a collection that preserves various tree species from the region. In addition, the Octávio Vecchi Forestry Museum also houses an old insect laboratory with a butterfly collection, a sensory space with plants and seeds and, of course, materials from the woodcut school that operated there.
The mansion where the museum is housed is also a highlight of the tour, as it has several carved displays and wooden details that go from floor to ceiling (which is why wearing the slippers provided at the entrance is mandatory), beautiful stained glass windows depicting the exuberance of Brazilian nature and a mural whose history alone is worth the visit.
The curious history of the museum’s mural:
Painted by Antônio Paim Vieira, the mural records 44 species of trees native to the state of São Paulo. The artwork was developed with the support of the indigenous community who, by sharing their ancestral knowledge with the muralist, enabled a greater understanding of how this flora interacted with each other. During a renovation in the 1970s, the mural was covered with paint and putty, becoming just a white wall. It wasn’t until 1999 that it was restored.
Did you enjoy visiting the Octávio Vecchi Forestry Museum? This “secret museum” is located at Rua do Horto, 931 – Parque Estadual Alberto Löfgren, and is open from Wednesday to Sunday, from 9am to 12pm and 2pm to 5pm. On Wednesdays, admission is free, while on other days it costs from R$10.
