Did you know that a town in the interior of São Paulo was once one of the richest in Brazil and even had its own currency? Located in the Paraíba Valley, Bananal is an open-air museum that still preserves remnants of the coffee cycle, a time when the small town made a major contribution to the Brazilian economy. So if you like history, consider a visit to Bananal: there’s a lot to do and see there!
Even today, the town has cobbled streets, historic farms and imposing 19th century mansions that preserve the history of Brazil’s Empire and early Republic. Bananal seems to have stood still in time, transporting its visitors to the past of the state of São Paulo.
The town even had its own currency!
During the coffee boom , there were so many transactions on Bananal’s farms and railroads that there wasn’t enough national currency to make the payments. The coffee elite therefore obtained approval from the Empire to mint their own currency, which circulated in nearby municipalities and even in Rio de Janeiro.
Bananal’s economic prestige declined during the decline of coffee and the abolition of slavery, as the farms continued to use slave labor. However, the town still preserves the buildings from that time, which hold stories of the coffee barons, the great parties of the elite and the enslaved people whose work made Bananal the second largest coffee producer in Brazil.
What to do in Bananal?
Bananal’s main attraction are the mansions and farms that date back to the coffee cycle, amid bucolic landscapes that look like they’re part of a soap opera. Some farms – such as Coqueiros, Resgate and Loanda – offer guided tours where tourists can see the old coffee plantations, with original objects and furniture from the period.
The historic center is also a must-see. In Praça Pedro Ramos, for example, you’ll see the bandstand and the 1879 Iron Fountain, where people used to collect water. Just opposite is the Igreja Matriz do Senhor Bom Jesus do Livramento, which has stood since 1811.
In Bananal you’ll also find the Pharmacia Popular, the oldest pharmacy still in business in Brazil. In addition, the train station is unique in Latin America, with its prefabricated Belgian architecture. Inaugurated in 1889, it transported coffee from São Paulo to the coast, from where it was shipped to the four continents.
