Formerly, the São Bernardino Farm in Nova Iguaçu was a prosperous rural center built in 1875, known for its luxury and large agricultural production. It was a symbol of wealth, with a grand main house, sugar mills, slave quarters, stables, and even its own station on the Rio Douro Railway to transport its coffee, sugar, and cassava production.
Construction and structure: Founded in 1875 by José Bernardino Melo, the farm had a neoclassical-style main house with 40 rooms, crystal mirrors, chandeliers, and a lookout on the top floor.
Production and transport: It produced on a large scale, which motivated the creation of a train station called "São Bernardino" on the Rio Douro Railway.
Infrastructure: It included infrastructure for workers and for processing production, such as slave quarters, stables, sugarcane and cassava mills, and a carriage garage.
Decline: After the sale in 1917, the farm went into decline. The new owners were unsuccessful in new activities, and the property suffered looting, theft, and a fire that destroyed much of the structure. Current situation: Today, the São Bernardino Farm is a set of ruins, listed as a historical and cultural heritage site in 1951, but still a historical and cultural landmark for the region.
Translated by Google •
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