this magnificent property is located in barra do piraí, near the br-393 highway, approximately 30 minutes from downtown barra do piraí and halfway to volta redonda. access to the farm is via a dirt road, allowing views of much of the property, which is predominantly flat and surrounded at the rear by rolling hills. the earliest references to the property date back to the early 19th century, with its establishment as a coffee plantation attributed to the barão de guapy, joaquim josé de oliveira ferraz, its most illustrious owner, who acquired it from d. izabel jacyntha de souza in 1851. the barão is credited with developing coffee cultivation on the farm and leading it to prosperity during the coffee boom. the property was his favorite retreat for weekends, as he lived in barra mansa, where he served as city councilor, president of the municipal chamber, justice of the peace, and superior commander of the national guard for the municipalities of barra mansa and rio claro. in 1859, portuguese traveler augusto emilio zaluar visited the farm and described it as “a rural property surrounded by a horizon of gently outlined mountains... more than a simple country house, a small city in itself, with grand dependencies, a hospital, an oratory, and a pharmacy. fields of maize, beans, rice paddies, and vast coffee plantations stretched across the hills, all intersected by wide, wagon-friendly paths." the main house is situated on a flat area, offering a panoramic view of the entire built ensemble and natural surroundings. visitors enter through a gate and an avenue lined with palm trees that runs alongside what was once one of the coffee drying yards. the main house features a large terrace, entrance hall, living room with a fireplace, an original chapel with a portuguese altar and sacred images, a tv room, a reading room, a formal dining room, an informal dining room, three full bathrooms, a guest bathroom, nine bedrooms (one with a walk-in closet), a large multi-use hall (ideal for a game room), two kitchens—one modern and one traditional with a french iron wood-burning stove—an updated laundry area, and an independent apartment for the farm manager. additionally, there are four extra rooms yet to be renovated, offering flexibility for future use. beneath the main house, the former slave quarters have been repurposed as a social space, including a dining hall and dressing rooms for the staff. wide carriageways crisscross the vast agricultural fields, and the property′s livestock and grounds are in excellent condition, leaving lasting memories for all who visit.
