History and Culture
Cultural space with more than 10 thousand Angolan books
Discover this place in Baixa dos Sapateiros, in Salvador
The Casa de Angola Cultural Center is, for sure, a piece of the African country in Baixa dos Sapateiros, in Salvador. The site, which has a library and a museum with historical objects, has free access for visitors.
The African influence in Brazil appears in the language, food, music, behavior and religious manifestations. The Casa de Angola cultural center, located in one of the colonial mansions, built in the 18th century, was founded on November 5, 1999 with the aim of keeping alive and consolidating the cultural ties between Brazil and the African country.
The cultural center’s library has about 10,000 books on Angolan literature, in addition to other academic and African cultural materials. Two books are most sought after at the site: “A Renúncia Impossível” and “Sagrada Esperança”, by Agostinho Neto. The author was president of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola and, in 1975, he became the first president of Angola until 1979.
In one of the main rooms in the house you will find two chairs. Called Ngundja, they are thrones used by traditional authorities of the Tchokwe people (People of Northeast Angola).
Casa de Angola is a reference and one of the most visited among the three African houses in Bahia – in addition to Casa de Angola, there is also Casa do Benin, located in the Santo Antônio neighborhood, and Casa da Nigeria, in Pelourinho.
The institution also has a room for temporary exhibitions and a permanent museum, with pieces from the collection of the National Museum of Anthropology of Angola. In addition, the place has an auditorium, where events and lectures take place with themes about history, the ties between Brazil and Angola and also about current problems of the country and the African continent in general.
Service
Casa de Angola (Angola House)
Address: Praça dos Veteranos (Veterans Square) – Centro
Opening hours: Monday to Thursday, from 9 am to 12 pm and from 1 pm to 4 pm; Friday, from 9 am to 3 pm.
Instagram: @casadeangolanabahia
