Main square
Rebuilt church.
Ednei Fialho Lopes — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Sandra Soster — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Sandra Soster — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Sandra Soster — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Sandra Soster — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Sandra Soster — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Sandra Soster — CC BY-SA 4.0
São Luiz do Paraitinga is a small town in the valley of the Paraitinga River, between the Paraíba Valley and the Ubatuba coast. At its heart is a historic centre of colourful old houses and mansions from the coffee era, and it is the birthplace of the physician and epidemiologist Oswaldo Cruz. In January 2010 a major flood swept through the centre, hitting some 140 buildings in the historic area and destroying eighteen of them completely, including the main church of São Luiz de Tolosa and the chapel of Nossa Senhora das Mercês. Later that year, on 10 December 2010, the national heritage service approved federal protection for the historic ensemble. The main church was rebuilt and returned to the square on 16 May 2014, funded by the federal Historic Cities programme, while some mansions still await restoration. The town is known for its popular carnival and its marchinha songs, and makes a good day out among the square, the lanes and the cafés on the way to or from Ubatuba.
Rebuilt church.
Coffee era.
Marchinha songs.
Central São Luiz do Paraitinga, Paraíba Valley, São Paulo state
The main church was rebuilt in 2014; some mansions are still being restored.