Pateo do Collegio, a birthplace and a place of memory: The liturgical reform accomplished by Claudio Pastro

Abstract

The origin of the city of São Paulo is deeply connected to the establishment of the São Paulo de Piratininga School in 1554 by the Society of Jesus. The inaugural Mass took place that year, on January 25th, celebrated by Father Manuel de Paiva and Father Afonso Brás, who was José de Anchieta’s brother, among others. Since its establishment, the original architectural complex of the Pateo do Collegio underwent many changes. Numerous unfavorable situations, both political and religious, might have led to the oblivion of this important and unique origin, yet the place remains a landmark in the Society of Jesus’s history and in the city’s architecture legacy. Its importance goes beyond the spiritual sphere, as it is also is educationally significant in São Paulo. This article intends to portray some primordial data about the Pateo do Collegio’s history to contextualize the changes made in the internal iconographic project in 2009 by artist Claudio Pastro (1948-2016), who, answering to a request from the institution’s superiors, refurbished the liturgical space according to Catholic Church’s documents inspired by Second Vatican Council.