São Paulo, Brazil, a city that was founded almost 500 years ago, on January 25, 1554, has a story of resilience and growth. Today, it is the largest city in the southern hemisphere, but its beginnings were humble. It started as a small native settlement with a Portuguese mission and school, and its growth was initially slow, keeping it in the shadows of other Brazilian cities. However, it persevered, and when the international community developed a passion for coffee, São Paulo’s journey took a new turn.

The city was founded by two Jesuit priests who established both a mission and a school. The settlement that formed around these buildings included both Europeans and indigenous people. However, it took time for the population to grow; the settlement remained quite small at the beginning of the next century. By the early seventeenth century, it became a base for explorers searching for gold and other treasures. This “treasure rush” led to a significant wave of immigration to São Paulo from Europe. Unfortunately, most of the wealth discovered by these treasure hunters ended up in the more developed Rio de Janeiro, which attracted the newly wealthy with its allure.

By the nineteenth century, Brazil had gained independence and invested in the infrastructure necessary for economic growth. This was a fortuitous development, as the international community was developing a strong appetite for coffee, a major Brazilian crop. São Paulo, strategically connected to major ports and agricultural areas, became the ideal hub for coffee export. This pivotal role in the coffee trade propelled the city’s development, transforming it into the bustling metropolis it is today.