Museu Regional de São João del-Rei, History museum in São João del Rei, Brazil.
The Museu Regional de São João del Rei occupies a three-story mansion featuring baroque, neoclassical, and rococo elements in the city's main square. The building houses furniture, musical instruments, paintings, and religious artifacts that document the region's cultural heritage.
Built in 1859 on Largo do Tamandaré for Commander João Antônio da Silva Mourão (1806–1866), a local merchant, the sobrado combined his family's residence on the upper floors with his business on the ground floor. After his death in 1866 his heirs kept the house, renting it out until 1926, when grandson Galdino Mourão de Araújo sold it to Colonel Felisbino de Rezende. In 1946 it was listed by IPHAN as part of the historic urban ensemble.
The museum displays objects spanning four centuries that reflect life in a mining town. Visitors can get a sense of how people lived during colonial times and what mattered in their daily lives.
The museum is located at Rua Marechal Deodoro 12 in downtown São João del Rei and is easily accessible on foot. The venue is currently undergoing renovations, so visitors should check current information about availability.
The ground floor once held the Mourão family's commerce, with offices in the centre and slaves housed at the back; animals stood in the outer yard. The upper two floors were the family residence, reached by a staircase from the old Rua do Comércio. The building was listed by IPHAN in 1946.
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