Pharmácia Popular, Heritage pharmacy museum in Bananal, Brazil.
Pharmácia Popular is a preserved pharmacy building with traditional architectural features in Bananal that holds collections of pharmaceutical artifacts from the 19th century. The house retains its original interior with shelving, cabinets, and an extensive collection of bottles, jars, and medical instruments from that era.
The house was founded in 1830 by French pharmacist Tourim Domingos Monsier as the Imperial Pharmacy and received its new name in 1889. It then remained in operation under family management for 181 years until closing in 2011.
The pharmacy displays how remedies and medical practices looked in the 19th century and what role they played in the town's daily life. Visitors see bottles, jars, and handwritten labels that show how people then took care of their health.
The museum is located on Rua Manoel de Aguiar and opens Monday through Saturday with guided tours in Portuguese available. It is advisable to check ahead whether the building is accessible at your preferred visiting time, as it is a historic monument with limited hours.
The building was founded as a pharmacy and operated continuously for more than a century and a half, run from the founder through his descendants. This long operational history under the same family makes it a rare example of business continuity in Brazil.
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