Remember the time when a wooden bridge connected Vila Guilherme to the other side. That was the first Ponte da Vila Guilherme. Picture it around 1919. The Tietê River wasn’t channelled yet. Vila Guilherme was a simple neighborhood linked to Pari.
Fast forward to 1923. A church in honor of São Sebastião stood tall thanks to Mr. Gulherme da Silva’s generosity. About 5,000 people called this place home. Interestingly that early bridge wasn’t in the same spot as today’s Ponte da Vila Guilherme. It connected Carlos de Campos Street to Guilherme Avenue.
As time passed Sāo Paulo’s north zone grew rapidly after the war of 1939 to 1945. A new stronger bridge became necessary. In 1967 the concrete Ponte da Vila Guilherme was inaugurated. The old wooden bridge stood beside the new one for a while. You can even see both in a 1967 photo from Folha de S. Paulo. Soon after, the wooden bridge was taken down to make way for Marginal do Tietê Avenue.
The current Ponte da Vila Guilherme links different streets than the old one. The new bridge initially had only three access points. Even today if you’re coming from Lapa towards Guarulhos you need to go past the bridge. Then you have to turn right onto Carlos de Campos Avenue to cross the bridge going north.
Back in 1912 Guilherme Braun da Silva bought about 115 alqueires of land. That extended from the Tietê River to Bela Vista Road. He purchased it from Dona Joaquina Ramalho Pinto de Castro for eighty contos de réis. This marks the founding of Vila Guilherme.
Guilherme improved the area significantly. He built the first chapel dedicated to São Sebastião. A police station and the Vila Guilherme school were constructed as well. He started building a horse riding club but passed away before finishing it. The area later became the Sociedade Paulista de Trote.
The district Vila Guilherme was officially established on May 20 1992 through Law 11.220/92.
Many streets and squares are named after people important to the neighborhood’s history. Examples include Joaquina Ramalho Maria Cândida Chico Pontes and Oscar da Silva.
The lower part of Vila Guilherme often flooded due to the Tietê River overflowing. Deepening the river channel helped reduce this issue. However lack of maintenance caused new floods in 2010.
In 2014 the Ponte da Vila Guilherme underwent construction to add a bike path in the central reservation. The path starts at Stelio Machado Loureiro Square where the São Sebastião Parish is located. It continues along Machados Street across the bridge. It reaches the intersection of Pedroso da Silveira and Bom Jardim Avenues in Pari/Brás. This elevated bike path is about 1 km long.
The Ponte da Vila Guilherme stands as a symbol of progress in Vila Guilherme. From a simple wooden structure to a concrete thoroughfare and a modern bike path it reflects the area’s growth. It connects not just places but also eras of São Paulo’s vibrant history.