Park Luz (São Paulo)

 park, green area, archaeology/history education

Park Luz is located near Tiradentes avenue in a close proximity to the Luz station, Museu de Arte Sacra de São Paulo, and the Historic Department of the City Hall of the municipality. In Jardim da Luz, the headquarters of the Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo is situated.
Originally Park was created in 1798 as a botanical garden and it was transformed into a public park only in 1938, initially only serving as a big pasture for cattle and cows. In 1900 was inaugurated the headquarters of Liceu de Artes e Ofícios de São Paulo, a building that nowadays holds the aforesaid Pinacoteca. During a big part of the 20th century, Jardim da Luz passed by a severe period of degradation, serving as a zone of prostitution and drug trafficking. The situation reverted itself with the revitalization of the central region led by the state government. The results were, among others, the installation of sculptures in the park, the reform of the Pinacoteca do Estado, and better police supervision and valorization of the area.