Brazil Art & Architecture

Overnight flight from the U.S. to São Paulo.

Arrive this morning in São Paulo, Brazil’s most modern, cosmopolitan city. Its attraction lies in its diversity of people and cultures. Along with outstanding food, São Paulo’s museums are among the finest in South America. Afternoon city tour including visits to Ibirapuera Park, famous for its more than 1 million square meters of gardens and the extraordinary buildings of the famous architect Oscar Niemeyer. Tour the MUBE (Brazilian Museum of Sculpture) and the upscale Jardins neighborhood. Welcome dinner. (2 Nights)

See the Oriental Neighborhood and the famous Paulista Avenue. Visit the MASP (Sao Paulo Art Museum), a concrete and glass structure designed by Lina Bo Bardi. After lunch, drive by the Morumbi soccer stadium and the Government Palace on the way to Casa de Vidro (Lina’s house). Later, visits to art galleries or architecture projects such as those by Angelo Bucci.

Fly to Belo Horizonte in the state of Minas Gerais. Tour Oscar Niemeyer’s Pampulha Complex, one of the principal recreation areas for the citizens of Belo Horizonte. The church of the complex includes the altar mural painted by Candido Portinari one of Brazil’s most important painters. (1 Night)

Depart for CACI (Center of Contemporary Art of Inhotim). CACI’s national and international collection of contemporary art has been assembled since the mid-1980s, focusing on works from the 1960s to the present. The institute boasts ten art galleries, spread throughout its park. Works by renowned Brazilian and international artists are displayed in both galleries and gardens designed by Burle Marx. After our visit, continue to Ouro Preto. (2 Nights)

Embark on a tour of the historical city of Ouro Preto, which dates back to 1701 and was once the richest city in Brazil and the center of the Brazilian gold rush. Declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, Ouro Preto has the purest examples of Baroque art and architecture in the whole of Brazil. Its past wealth is evident in the well-preserved buildings from the glory days of the gold rush. Inside the many churches, some magnificently adorned with gold, are sculptures by Brazil’s most renowned period artist, Aleijadinho, the “Little Cripple.”

Depart Ouro Preto by motorcoach, for a beautiful ride to Rio de Janeiro, one of South America’s most scintillating cities. Stop for lunch in the city of Juiz de Fora. Arrive in Rio in the late afternoon in time for dinner and an evening at leisure. (4 Nights)

Tour historical downtown Rio, including Banco do Brazil, the baroque São Bento Monastery, the modern Metropolitan Cathedral, and Praca XV de Novembro. Lunch is at Confeitaria Colombo, a historical restaurant / cafe opened in 1894. In the afternoon, ride a cable car to the top of the famed Sugar Loaf Mountain, offering spectacular views of one of the most beautiful urban settings on earth.

Continue exploring Rio. Start with the Candelaria Church, the Carioca Arches. Then visit the recently restored Imperial Palace. Built-in 1743 it was first used as the home of the Viceroys of Brazil, the official residence of Brazil’s royal family. Depart for a tour of the Santa Teresa district including a visit to Chácara do Céu Museum with its outstanding collection of modern art and Braziliana. Visit the Lurix Gallery or another gallery to be determined. Sunset trip on Guanabara Bay and see the Museum of Contemporary Art, designed by Niemeyer, from the water.

Depart for Sítio Roberto Burle Marx, the estate of the famous landscape architect, outside of Rio. Marx said to have “painted with plants,” bought the Santo Antonio da Bica Sítio in 1949 to store his flora collection and lived here until his death in 1994. The sítio has a marvelous house and a small chapel that dates back to the 16th century. Marx donated the property to the Brazilian government in trust for posterity and it became a National Monument. Return to Rio for a farewell dinner.

Free day for additional activities in Rio until time for an evening transfer to the airport for overnights flights back to the U.S.