Casa do Povoador, located on Rua do Porto and on the banks of the Piracicaba River, is a historic property, listed and considered one of the landmarks of the beginning of urban occupation of what would become the municipality of Piracicaba (SP).
Due to its historical importance, the space is listed by the state of São Paulo and the municipality and has become a cultural center. However, it shows signs of abandonment and degradation – find out more below.
The house was built between the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century with mud walls (pau a pique) on top of stone bases and a wooden structure, following the tradition of the bandeirantes.
It is one of the oldest buildings in the municipality, states the property's listing inventory, carried out by the Piracicaba Cultural Heritage Defense Council (Codepac).
‘There are no records that prove the exact date of its construction, nor the ownership of Captain Antonio Corrêa Barbosa, as he lived on the left bank of the Piracicaba River, where he founded the Povoação de Piracicaba”, writes the book ‘Piracicaba in current features and colors’, by the Piracicaba Research and Planning Institute (IPPLAP), from 2015.
The statement occurs because Casa do Povoador is named after the colonist who settled Piracicaba, Captain Antonio Corrêa Barbosa. Furthermore, it marks the transfer of the Parish of Santo Antonio from the right bank to the left bank of the river, in 1794, carried out by the captain. Before this transfer, the colonizers only lived on the right side of the river, where the Vila Rezende region is currently located.
According to the IPPLAP publication, Casa do Povoador is one of the last remnants of the wattle and daub technique in the city and the property has previously functioned as a family residence, salt warehouse and orphan asylum.
Purchase by the city hall and listings
The property was acquired by Piracicaba City Hall in 1947 and the process of restoring the space, which had deteriorated, began. In 1967, during the city's bicentenary, it was recognized as a municipal symbol.
State listing occurred in 1969, by the Council for the Defense of the Historical, Artistic and Tourist Heritage of the State of São Paulo (Condephaat). In 2004, it was listed at municipal level by Codepac.
Current use and degradation
Casa do Povoador functions as a cultural center and houses the Alberto Thomazi Gallery.
Despite its historical relevance, the property shows wear and tear due to time and lack of maintenance.
EPTV, a TV Globo affiliate, visited the site last Wednesday (14) and found that the exterior had graffiti on the walls and deterioration in the finishes. Inside, there is damage and holes in the wooden ceilings, misfitting doors, leaks and a broken water fountain. Outside, the stair handrail is loose.
Site employees use improvised cardboard sheets to contain drips on rainy days.
Furthermore, in the external area, there are problems with the access trail and the presence of fallen trees since a storm that occurred in December 2025.
Structural and firefighting safety also presented flaws: four fire extinguishers on site had expired since 2022.
Even with the deteriorating scenario and with the last exhibition having opened in 2025, the place continues to be open and receiving tourists, so much so that, on Sunday (9), 40 people signed the attendance book.
“The Casa do Povoador is fundamental. I mean, our story starts there. So, if Piracicaba, due to public administration, political power, does not understand, does not have this historical awareness, we will end up losing all of this. [...] Currently, Casa do Povoador is practically abandoned. It's absurd. I would say that what they are committing is a historical sin", says the writer and researcher of the history and roots of Piracicaba, Cecílio Elias Netto.
What the city hall says
In a note to EPTV, Piracicaba City Hall announced that it had exchanged expired extinguishers on Wednesday (12). The Executive also informed that Casa do Povoador is included in a project to requalify Avenida Beira Rio and the Rua do Porto waterfront — already approved by Codepac —, which provides for landscaping, urban planning and lighting improvements.
Also according to the municipal administration, a technical inspection was carried out in July this year to map the necessary interventions in the building.
The Municipal Department of Works, Infrastructure and Public Services declared that it will remove the fallen trees and evaluate repairs to the external trail. The city hall, however, did not establish official deadlines for the beginning and completion of works to adapt the historic space.
