In the district of Santana, rare objects telling the history of São Paulo are stored. The State Archive is the oldest institution in São Paulo. You can find documents connect to military dictatorship time and also private notes by former governors and presidents, like Julio Prestes, Washington Luis, Ademar de Barros, and also photography by Militão Azevedo, one of the most important Brazilian photographers and other rarities.
 
Created in 1721, initial purpose of this institution was to collect, treat and make available to population all historic material by Executive. Since 1891, documents of State secretariats and Judiciary and notary, private documents have also been kept, helping to maintain memories of São Paulo.
 
In order to develop several projects connected to collection conservation and promotion, additionally to contribute to academic studies. The Archive’s management also keeps partnerships with university, research institutions, Public Ministry of the State, Official Press, Foundation for Support Research of the State of São Paulo (Fapesp), Data Processing of the State of São Paulo (Prodesp) and São Paulo Association of Archivist, showing a concern about keeping important, curious and even unknown information.
 
Today the State Archive, one of the largest in Brazil, is one of the Coordination of State Secretariat of Culture, with two departments and four divisions. Institution’s headquarters approaches three buildings housing help desk hall, 14 warehouses for collection, laboratories, work rooms, class rooms, exhibition’s gallery, theater for more than 100 people and external stage. Research support library houses 39,000 volumes and the State Library center, more 25,000 books. This establishment also houses a newspaper archive, a map archive, iconographic collection with almost 1,000,000 images, thousands of rolls of microfilm and approx. 25,000 meters of textual documents.
 
Service:
State Archive
Rua Voluntários da Pátria, 596 - Santana - São Paulo (Tietê subway station)
Phone: (5511) 2221-4785
Website: www.arquivoestado.sp.gov.br
E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Time: Tuesday to Saturday, 09:00 am to 05:00 pm
Free