Bosque do Papa João Paulo II Picture 1

More information on Bosque do Papa Joao Paulo II Photo by: deltafrut

A blessed place where nature and tradition are part of scenic beauty and in harmony, the Bosque Joao Paulo II, inaugurated in December 1980 was immortalized by the Popes visit to Curitiba in June 1980.  In the park, there was a  special house built for him in the traditional Polish style at the Estadio Couto Pereira.  The house was then presented to the city as a beautiful tribute to the Polish community in Curitiba.  The park has a great deal of Polish history, and includes the Polish Immigration Memorial.

Inside the park is a trail that winds through the forest and along the trail are seven typical Polish houses in the form of a village.  These houses were built at the beginning of the Polish colonization in Curitiba, around 1878.  The homes were moved to the park and reassembled in the woods to create a memorial to the Polish immigrants.  The houses, made of embedded pine logs, represent the history and the culture of the immigrants.  The first house is actually the one dedicated to the Pope and was not an original immigrant house.  This house had a chapel installed in honor of the Black Virgin of Czestchowa, patron saint of Poland.  In the other houses, you can see the historic furniture and tools from the first immigration period, circa 1871.   Many of the typical tools, including the barrels used for sour cabbage production, the grain shakers and stone grinders are present within the homes on display.  Further along the trail there is a sculpture of Pope John Paul II and a monument to Nicolaus Copernicus.

The park also has an area where there are many crafts on sale, such as the famous pysanky, or hand-painted eggs in enclosures that are used to greet Easter.   The Polish community has many festivals throughout the year, and during these festivals plenty of traditional music and folklore are presented to the crowds.   There are celebrations for the Swiconka, or the Blessing of Food at Easter time in July, and another celebration to honor the Pope's visit in August, the party of the patron saint of Czestochowa, the pontificate of John Paul II in October, and St. Nicholas Day that starts the Christmas celebration.  On these occasions it's possible to experience the delicious foods the Polish cook, including pirogues (pastry stuffed with cheese) and the delicious sweets and cakes of the Polish cuisine.

The project's landscape architect Burle Marx, who personally oversaw the cleanup of the Bosque, made it a priority to preserve the native forest, by planting new seedlings of pine (Araucaria angustifolia).   The seedling are now all fully matured throughout the 48,000 square meters of the park.

The "Pope's Wood," as it is known in Curitiba, offers a journey into the heart and history of the Polish people, gratitude and a tribute to the city's Polish immigrants.
 

The Oscar Niemeyer Museum is right beside the park, and offers one of the largest exhibition complexes in Brazil.

Hours:

Daily from 6am to 8pm;

Polish Memorial is open Tuesdays to Sundays from 9am to 6:30pm

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