History

On the year 1821, the Brigadier Manuel Rodrigues Jordao bought a piece of land from the legendary "Sesmaria do Morro Azul" that belonged to the Galvao de Franca brothers and to Manuel de Barros Ferraz. His sons, the Baron of Sao Joao do Rio Claro, founded in part of this lands Santa Gertrudes Farm. The name was in memory of his mother Dona Gertrudes Galvao de Moura Lacerda.

After his death, his widow, the Baroness Dona Maria Hipolita dos Santos marries the Marquis de Tres Rios, making him the second owner. Through his efforts, the railway reaches the farm (plantation) and brings along great progress and development to the whole region.

After the death of both the Marquis and his wife, having left no inheritors, the farm is inherited by her sister, Dona Antonia dos Santos Silva Prates, who was married to the Count de Prates. It was exactly at this time and through the Count’s initiative, a very affluent and an entrepreneur, that the farm reaches its peak.

Between the years 1890 and 1910 the Count was able to build one of the greatest Coffee Plantations Brazil has ever seen, with cutting edge technology when it came to processing and commercialization of its production. The plantation was self sufficient and had, among other things, its own carpentry, saw mill, smith’s, silos, processing machines, warehouses, butcher` s, dams, aqueducts, church, watchtowers, school, movie theater, steam motors that produced the necessary supply of electricity and had also its own currency.

The whole structure is still preserved, with over 22,000 m2, harmoniously designed by a French architect that over a century ago, applied here the rules of a director plan.

During the first decades of the 20th century, the plantation was always considered a model and for that reason always received illustrious visitors that would come from the capital by train and be received by the Count on the nearby village, formerly called Gramado, today called Santa Gertrudes, and would then be transported to the plantation on impeccable and shining carriages.

Attractions

The farm, with over a century of history and its French architecture, receives visitors and takes them into a journey going back to the peak of coffee production. Showing them the whole process, from harvesting to shipment to the railroad, with full explanations on all intermediate processes. The whole tour, lasting about 2 hours, will give the visitors a full picture of how the work was done at the time when all transportation still depended heavily on mules and ox carts, electricity was generated by steam engines and water wheels and the labor force had to be imported from Europe, along with all the materials used for building the whole complex, like, roof tiles, iron bars and cement.

Visits must be booked beforehand and groups with at least 45 people. Fee:
Visit and a delicious farm style breakfast: R$ 25,00 per person.
Visit and lunch: R$ 45,00 per person.