The Sítio

This phrase reflects the thought and way of being in the world of Roberto Burle Marx, who lived in close connection with nature.

The most eloquent testimony of this connection is the Sítio Roberto Burle Marx, a unique place in which culture and nature are intertwined. It is the only place which holds one of the most important collections of living plants in the world in an environment which synthesises the life and creative spirit of this great artist and landscaper.

Located in Barra de Guaratiba, a neighbourhood of the West Zone of Rio de Janeiro, the property where Burle Marx lived and produced his work for the last twenty years of his life was – and continues to be – a great laboratory for experimentation: over 3,500 species of tropical and subtropical plants, organised into nurseries and gardens, coexist in harmony with native vegetation in an area of 405,000 square metres which includes several buildings, lakes, gardens, art collections and a vast library.

The Sítio Roberto Burle Marx became a special unit in 1985, linked to the National Institute of Historical and Artistic Heritage (Iphan), which fulfills the role of preserving, studying and disseminating the life and work of Roberto Burle Marx.