National Book Day: Brazilian authors' houses to visit

The houses of Brazilian authors offer more than material memories — they are spaces of living memory, where one can walk through the same rooms in which poems, novels, and ideas that shaped the literary identity of the country were born.

Spread across different states, these residences preserve personal items, manuscripts, and original projects, revealing an intimate and sensitive side of their former residents - and the best part is that they can be visited by those who want to be closer to their favorite authors (and idols).

In celebration of National Book Day, we prepared an affectionate and cultural itinerary through the houses of seven writers who helped shape the soul of Brazilian literature!

Cultural Workshop Casa Mário de Andrade - São Paulo (SP)

In the Barra Funda neighborhood, in São Paulo, the house that hosted Mário de Andrade keeps alive the modernist fervor of the author. Transformed into a cultural workshop, the space brings together permanent exhibitions with original furniture, personal items, and thematic sections about his relationship with music, cinema, literature, theater, and plastic arts.

The former residence, listed by IPHAN, also promotes performances, literary gatherings, and artistic courses. Visiting the house is to know the multifaceted universe of one of the main names of the Week of 22, who made São Paulo his eternal inspiration. Admission is free.

Casa de Guimarães Rosa - Cordisburgo (MG)

In Cordisburgo, the house where João Guimarães Rosa was born holds fragments of the writer's life and the sertanejo universe that permeates his work. The museum, inaugurated in 1974, brings together more than 700 items, including personal objects, manuscripts, photos, and the typewriter used by the author of Grande Sertão: Veredas.

The collection reveals the man behind the literary icon — doctor, diplomat, and storyteller — and is part of the traditional tourist route that includes the Gruta do Maquiné. Admission is also free.

Casa de Carlos Drummond de Andrade - Itabira (MG)

The house where Carlos Drummond de Andrade lived until he was 16 is one of the main tourist attractions in Itabira. The 19th-century house maintains a exhibition about the childhood and youth of the poet, with personal objects and references to his work.

The space also integrates the Itabira Drummondiana circuit, with 44 plaques spread throughout the city containing verses by the writer. It is a poetic experience, that connects the visitor to the landscape and to the affective memory of Drummond.

Casa de Cultura Mário Quintana - Porto Alegre (RS)

The pink building that once was the Hotel Majestic, where Mário Quintana lived for more than a decade, is now one of the most emblematic cultural centers in Rio Grande do Sul. On site, a replica of room 217 reproduces the projects where the poet wrote and translated his works.

In addition to the memorial dedicated to Quintana, the space houses art galleries, theaters, and exhibitions that celebrate names like Elis Regina. A meeting point between poetry and the arts of Rio Grande do Sul, with free admission and a privileged view of the Guaíba River.

Casa Museu Cora Coralina - Cidade de Goiás (GO)

By the banks of the Rio Vermelho, the house where Cora Coralina lived and wrote part of her work has become a museum in 1989, the centenary year of the poet. The space preserves furniture, manuscripts, household items, and correspondences, composing an intimate portrait of the author who gave voice to the women of the Goiás countryside.

The visit reveals the simplicity and strength that marked her poetry — an invitation to understand how the house and the city became protagonists of her verses. Admission costs R$ 15, payable only in cash.

Casa de José de Alencar - Fortaleza (CE)

The small house where José de Alencar was born in 1829 has been restored and now integrates a cultural complex administered by the Federal University of Ceará. The space includes museum, art galleries, libraries, and the ruins of the family's old mill, composing a rich historical heritage listed by IPHAN.

There, it is possible to dive into the origins of the author of Iracema and O Tronco do Ipê, getting to know up close the scenery that inspired his narratives about 19th-century Brazil. Access is free.

Casa de Cultura Jorge Amado - Ilhéus (BA)

The former colonial palace where Jorge Amado lived part of his childhood now houses a cultural center dedicated to his work. The collection includes personal items, books, and panels that tell the story of the author and his family, as well as records about Gabriela, Cravo e Canela, the novel set in the very city.

Although temporarily closed for restoration, the space still offers exhibitions at the Municipal Theater of Ilhéus. A symbolic address to understand how the author portrayed, with such affection, the daily life and culture of Bahia.