House of Bandeirist do Itaim

The House of Bandeirist do Itaim is a colonial manor house with nine rooms arranged around a central courtyard, featuring traditional Portuguese building methods. The structure displays thick stone walls, wooden column elements, and a private chapel typical of elite residences from that colonial period.

The building dates from the 17th century and served members of the bandeirante movement, exploratory merchants who expanded into the interior of São Paulo. In the early 1900s it was converted into a sanatorium and later housed a Paraguay War veteran, before undergoing complete restoration in 2011.

The house shows how wealthy colonial families shaped their homes, with the open loggia and internal courtyard revealing typical living arrangements of that era. The chapel space hints at how faith played a central role in daily household life.

The house sits in the Vila Olímpia neighborhood and can be reached by public transit or on foot through surrounding streets. As a restored heritage site, it offers self-guided or guided exploration with information panels and functional spaces to walk through.

The Instituto Casa Bandeirista established its research operations inside the building, making it an active center for academic studies of colonial architecture. Architecture enthusiasts and history researchers tap into the institute's collections to study how houses of this style evolved across centuries.