Do you know how the Paths of Wisdom circuit came about? Monk Daiju went to Shikoku, Japan, where one of the most important spiritual pilgrimage routes in Asia is located. It lasts 45 days and includes 88 temples on a 1,290km route that can be done on foot, by train or by car. On his return from this trip, he created the Paths of Wisdom Circuit, the first spiritual pilgrimage route in Brazil. A 108km route that covers 23 points, passing through several communities, the Atlantic Forest, restaurants, waterfalls, farms and cafes. Each person can do their own route, on foot, by bike, motorcycle or car, each person respecting their own time. 1 SÃO MARCOS MATRIX 2 BRAGATO FARM CHAPEL 3 SÃO JOSÉ CHAPEL 4 SANTO ANTÔNIO CHURCH 5 ZEN BUDDHIST MONASTERY 6 TORII PORTAL 7 NOSSA SENHORA APARECIDA CHAPEL 8 SAGRADA FAMÍLIA CHURCH 9 SANTO ANTÔNIO CHAPEL The entire history of Italian immigrants in Brazil is in books, photos, objects brought from Italy and personal documents of immigrants. The Zio Minio museum aims to preserve the memory so that the younger ones know how much hardship their ancestors went through. They founded the church soon after immigrating, with Santo Antônio as its patron saint. Its construction had the help of the Italians from Pendanga. With baroque architecture, stucco ceiling and images brought from Italy. 10 CHAPEL OF IMMACULATE CONCEPTION 11 CHAPEL OF SÃO PEDRO And here in São Pedro there is a quilombola community, made up of enslaved people who resisted slavery, which was in force in Brazil for over 300 years and was only abolished in 1888. Among the productive activities are subsistence agriculture and raising of small animals, in addition to the cultivation and harvesting of cassava, corn, beans and rice, which have made up the staple food of quilombola communities since the colonial period. Espírito Santo has the 15th largest quilombola population in the country, present in 26 municipalities in Espírito Santo with 11 quilombola territories 12 CHAPEL OF SAGRADO CORAÇÃO DE JESUS ​​13 CHAPEL OF SANTO ANTÔNIO Here we met Douglas who invited us to visit the Fávaro family's bed and breakfast. 14 PANDOLFI FAMILY FARM CHAPEL 15 SANTO ALEXANDRE CHAPEL 16 CÓRREGO BELO CHAPEL To do this trail, we stayed at the João e Maria Inn, owned by Zezé, and had lunch at Lagoa do Vale, owned by João Carlos. We were very well received, the reception was great, the menu was delicious, the place is a delight to stay, go down the zip line, sleep comfortably in the accommodations of the inn, which has a pool, delicious breakfast made with great care by Zezé, even the bread is baked fresh. A charming place! And the best part is that it has everything together: the inn, restaurant, steakhouse, pool and it is very close to the Buddha. Ideal for renewing your energy to continue your journey! 17 SANTO ANTÔNIO CHAPEL The Santo Antônio Chapel is a support point, it has bathrooms, a drinking fountain, lots of power outlets, benches and shade, an ideal place to take a longer break. 18 CHAPEL OF SAINT PETER Some pilgrims skip this church because it is necessary to leave the route and then return, but we continued and found the chapel of Saint Peter. 19 ABANDONED CHAPEL 20 CHAPEL OF SAINT ANTHONY 21 CHAPEL OF SAINT MICHAEL 22 CHAPEL OF SAINT SEBASTIÃO Although it is the penultimate one, don't think it was easy to get here, the climb is quite steep in its final stretch, with a very uneven dirt track, but we managed to find the chapel of Saint Sebastian! 23 SANCTUARY OF OUR LADY OF HEALTH Here in the sanctuary there is a little shop with souvenirs from the sanctuary. This path is a unique journey that takes you into a universe of great historical richness and rituals that close cycles. A journey that transcends the physical walk and allows you to touch the territory of self-knowledge and personal transformation that invites you to reconnect with yourself and with God. WHAT I THOUGHT OF THE CIRCUIT: My opinion: Some churches are open, many are closed, one has no totem, another has a totem written incorrectly, the signage could be better, with the name of the next church to reach on the kilometer signs, there is no one to greet you at the support points, and many residents along the route are unfamiliar with the circuit, which has been in existence for over 20 years. It is time to update it, especially the map, which leaves a lot to be desired. My biggest outrage is having a tourist circuit as rich as the Paths of Wisdom and not being able to see the inside of the churches. This route needs to be restructured so that it can fulfill its objective of connecting with nature and spirituality. The main tip for those who are interested in doing the 23 points of the Paths of Wisdom is to do it in increasing order of the numbers. Don't try to do it from the closest points, as it is easier to find some churches if you start from the previous number.