How about stepping into a place where a literary giant sought refuge? That place is the Sítio Boa Sorte Casa de Oswald de Andrade. This house offered Oswald de Andrade peace in his final years. It sits nestled in Ribeirão Pires.
Oswald de Andrade was a key figure in Brazil’s Semana de Arte Moderna of 1922. He spent much of his last five years here. The current owner is even restoring the old house.
Why “Sítio Boa Sorte” or Good Luck Farm? Oswald was quite superstitious. He insisted everyone enter with their right foot first including family. He lived here with his last wife Maria Antonieta D’Alkimin and their two children Marília and Paulo Marcos.
The historian Marcílio Duarte said that Oswald had a creative relationship with the sítio. It was a calm place for rest and literary production. It was especially calm back then in the 1950s.
After Oswald’s death the family sold the sítio. A special part of the house was Oswald’s office. His original desk is still there. He wrote poems ideas and diary entries there.
One diary entry from November 2 1953, reads “Boa Sorte remakes me. Its million swaying trees green. The white gates. The English comfort that goes from discreet painting to green waxed distinct that covers the bathroom floor the Chinese owner of the house everything everything the winter garden over the valley the lake and the small Italian town. If I can live here after traveling Still.” These writings reveal his love for the sítio. They were recently published in the book “Diário Confessional”.
According to Marcílio Duarte, Oswald found tranquility at the sítio. He found a place to connect with himself to write. Oswald’s last book “Um Homem sem Profissão” was likely written here.
Zé Celso Martinez Corrêa director of Teatro Oficina rediscovered Oswald. He revived one of the modernist’s most important texts. The play “O Rei da Vela” written in 1933 premiered in 1967 after Oswald’s death. Zé Celso admired the text and brought the writer’s memory and work back to life.
Oswald’s daughter Marília de Andrade remembers those times. She recalls splitting time between their apartment in São Paulo’s Bixiga and Sítio Boa Sorte.
Marília has strong childhood memories of the sítio. It felt like an extension of their home. She was surprised when she revisited in 2018. The house wasn’t as she remembered.
The sítio is more than just a place. It is a reminder of Oswald de Andrade’s life work and search for peace. In 2022 the city recognized this by beginning the process to preserve the Sítio Boa Sorte. This act ensures that this cultural gem remains a place of inspiration for generations to come. The current owner is open to ideas. He wants to create a cultural tourist and even gastronomic destination in partnership with the Heritage Council.
So as you stand here remember Oswald’s words. Imagine him finding solace and creativity within these walls. The Sítio Boa Sorte Casa de Oswald de Andrade is more than a historic site. It is a testament to the enduring power of art literature and the human spirit.