In São José do Barreiro, on the São Paulo side of the Paraíba Valley, the Pau d’Alho Farm is a former 19th-century coffee plantation. Listed in 1968 by IPHAN, the building, surrounded by stone and wattle-and-daub walls, is a rare example and holds inestimable historical value.
It is located on the so-called “Caminho Novo da Piedade, ” an important route connecting Rio, Minas, and the interior of São Paulo in the 18th century. The farm was even a stopping point for travelers passing through the region.
The site is currently part of the Historic Valley, a route along the paths traveled by Dom Pedro and the royal family. Access is via kilometer 262 of the Rodovia dos Tropeiros (SP-068).
Built between 1817 and 1819, the house belonged to João Ferreira de Souza and remained in the same family for generations. The two-story house, a rare construction in the region, also featured a slave quarters, a coffee yard, a granary, workshops, mills, and a waterwheel. In addition to storage areas and the building housing the pestle mill.
At its peak, the farm had as many as 300 enslaved people, in addition to 300,000 coffee plants, cattle, and mules. Coffee production had its ownengineering system, with water flowing between the fields and even being used to power the machinery.
In addition to coffee, they also produced sugar and tobacco. The property also operated as a subsistence farm, where the farm supported itself and fed travelers who stopped there to restock.
The unexpected arrival of Dom Pedro I at the Pau d’Alho Farm
In 1822, during Dom Pedro I’s journey to the Cry of Independence, the royal entourage passed through São José do Barreiro. The farm, still newly built and with only the coffee plantation established, welcomed the prince regent.
The residents, however, did not recognize the prince upon his arrival. Historians claim that Dom Pedro used to ride ahead of his entourage, and so he arrived first on his own, dirty and ragged. Treated like any other traveler, he was given food at the kitchen door and ate sitting on the floor or on the steps.
In addition, local accounts say that the owner, João Ferreira de Souza, and his son Antônio continued the journey alongside the prince, forming the honorguard in the entourage all the way to Ipiranga.
From historic farm to luxury hotel
Pau d’Alho became a landmark for historical tourism in the region, offering free admission and guides for tours. However, since early 2025, public visits have been suspended indefinitely by IPHAN.
In fact, there is an ongoing project that seeks to grant the Pau d’Alho territory to the private sector for approximately 45 years. The plan is to build a 60-room luxury hotel in the area surrounding the property.
The initiative, however, does not seek to transform the former slave quarters into lodging, but rather into an educational space about slavery. In addition, it also envisions the entire historic complex being restored and integrated into a tourist itinerary, with guided tours and permanentexhibitions.