Aldeia de Carapicuíba, Historic Jesuit settlement in Carapicuíba, Brazil

The Aldeia de Carapicuíba is a historic Jesuit village arranged around a wide square, with a row of single-storey houses with white plastered walls, dark base bands and pitched roofs of weathered terracotta tiles with exposed wooden eaves. The church, rebuilt in 1736, faces the square, and a brick pedestal cross stands before its door. A taller white building with a blue horizontal stripe marks one side.

Jesuit Father José de Anchieta founded this settlement in 1580 as one of twelve villages created to educate indigenous peoples in Catholic faith near São Paulo. It was part of a larger mission effort to establish Christian communities across the region.

The Dança de Santa Cruz, also called Sarabaquê, is performed in three parts — Saudação, Roda and Despedida — with violas, pandeiros, cuícas and reco-recos, starting before the church and moving to each house with a cross. The Zagaia variant has stronger indigenous influence and serves canja de galinha, curau and milho during its intervals.

The settlement is easily accessible by public transportation through Inocêncio Seráfico Avenue and has schools and healthcare services within the area. Visiting during daytime hours lets you see the buildings and plaza life in good lighting and observe daily activities.

This is the only preserved Jesuit village from the colonial era among the twelve originally founded near São Paulo de Piratininga. Its survival to today makes it a rare example of how early mission communities were laid out and organized.