At the Sítio Minguinho Museum, the range of topics extends from a reconstructed barbershop and a multi-grade classroom to equipment used for mate, cassava and corn. There are also memories of Colônia Cecília and Volga German immigration. The areas can be distinguished by their objects and stories: they lead from everyday spaces and handcrafts to community life and food production. The museum is affiliated with the Brazilian Institute of Museums (IBRAM); check the current visiting arrangements before setting out.

Handcrafts and School Life

The Barbearia was reconstructed using original items and everyday objects from a former barbershop in the centre of Palmeira. The Escola displays furniture, books and teaching materials from a typical multi-grade classroom of the first decades of the 20th century. The two rooms highlight different aspects: the Barbearia focuses on the furnishings of a workplace, while the Escola presents everyday school life in a multi-grade classroom. The Ferraria adds another perspective with tools and a blacksmith’s workshop for shaping iron household items and work tools. The Portuguese names help explain the displays: Barbearia means barbershop, Escola means school and Ferraria means blacksmith’s workshop. Together, the three areas take visitors from barbering and teaching to working with iron.

Memories of Community and Immigration

The Memorial da Colônia Cecília displays objects, documents and photographs about an anarchist community. It is a museum area open to visitors at Sítio Minguinho in the municipality of Palmeira. At the municipal level, its story leads to an experimental commune founded in 1890 in Palmeira, in the state of Paraná, on anarchist principles. The place, year and form of its founding give the displayed mementos a specific historical context.

The Casa dos Alemães do Volga at Sítio Minguinho presents customs brought to Brazil by Volga German immigrants from the banks of the Volga River in Russia in the late 19th century. A typical Russian-German house in the municipality of Palmeira is richly furnished with historical objects from the everyday lives of early immigrants. Cultural customs are thus presented alongside material evidence of daily life. The topics also differ in period: migration is set in the late 19th century, while the classroom on display dates from the first decades of the 20th century.

Equipment for Mate, Cassava and Corn

The production equipment can be compared by its power source and purpose. The Barbaquá was powered by animal traction and used to process mate leaves for chimarrão. The Tafona was also powered by animal traction, but it produced cassava flour. The Monjolo ground corn to make corn products. The Barbaquá and Tafona therefore share the same power source but differ in purpose; the Monjolo adds corn grinding to the comparison. Visitors can also see the Bodega at Sítio Minguinho in the municipality of Palmeira.

Discover more destinations: Barracão, General Carneiro, Ribeirão Bonito, São Jerônimo Da Serra, Ribeirão Claro, Campina Grande Do Sul, Capanema, Irati.

For the main travel guide: Paraná.