Cataguases: Modern Architecture and Culture

Cataguases is best explored through its modern architecture and the art found on specific buildings. The town has a rich collection of modern architecture from 1940 to 1960, including works by Oscar Niemeyer and other important architects and artists of the period. Facades, building forms and mural art offer different ways to discover the town’s cultural history.

Modern Architecture and Art in the Urban Landscape

The Santuário de Santa Rita de Cássia dates from 1968. It is shaped like an airplane, and its facade is adorned with a tile mural by the painter Djanira da Motta e Silva. According to the municipal culture department, the area around the Santuário is protected as a heritage site by Iphan. The architecture, artwork and protected area each give the site a distinct cultural significance.

The Educandário Dom Silvério also brings together architecture and visual art: its modernist tiled facade dates to 1954. The same building houses the mural “A Criação do Mundo,” created by Emeric Marcier in 1956. The two dates refer to different works—the facade and the mural. Modern design in Cataguases can therefore be seen not only in the form of a building, but also in the artworks associated with individual buildings.

Another point of interest is Praça Manoel Inácio Peixoto. A municipal report dated March 19, 2026, described it as a protected site and noted that its renovation preserved its historical and architectural identity as well as its essential features. Following its revitalization, the square is once again a public space for meeting, socializing, culture and remembrance.

Literary and Film History

Cataguases is also connected to literature and Brazilian cinema. Humberto Mauro, a pioneer of Brazilian cinema, lived in Cataguases from 1910 onward. The town’s literary history includes Movimento Verde, a literary movement that gave rise to the modernist Revista Verde. Film history and the literary movement offer two distinct ways to explore the town’s culture: the biographical connection to Mauro and Movimento Verde’s connection to a magazine.

Cultural Route and Events

The “Cataguases – Moderna e Eterna” route brings together tourism, education and the appreciation of cultural heritage. It thus encompasses themes that are also evident in the town’s buildings, artworks and cultural traces.

The Festival Modernista is an established arts, culture and music event held as part of the celebrations marking Cataguases’s anniversary. This description comes from a municipal report from 2025. A city report from the same year also listed the Festival Conversa de Botequim in its events calendar and described it as established. It explained that local food businesses prepared and served special dishes to the public during the festival. The two events have different focuses: arts, culture and music in one case, and special dishes from local food businesses in the other. If you plan to time your trip around an event, check the specific dates before making plans.

Getting There and Planning Your Hotel Stay

The BR-120, MG-285 (Rodovia Valdir Freitas) and MG-447 (Rodovia Ataúfo Alves) run through the municipality of Cataguases. Check current road conditions before setting out. When choosing a hotel in Cataguases, you might first consider whether you want to focus your trip on architecture and art, literary and film history, or cultural events. If your plans depend on an event date, check it in advance.

Discover more destinations: Cataguases, Água Comprida, Varginha, São Domingos do Prata, Fronteira, Lassance, Cachoeira de Minas, Peçanha.

For the broader travel guide: Minas Gerais.