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In Treze de Maio, in Southern Santa Catarina, a Priest and His 82-Year-Old Father Built a 1,500 m² Castle with 13 Bedrooms, a Chapel, a Productive Farm, a Biodigester, and Guided Tours for Tourists.
The first impression is of a movie scene: amidst an agricultural landscape in the small municipality of Treze de Maio, in Southern Santa Catarina, a stone castle stands out among gardens, water fountains, and animals. At the center of this story are a priest and his father, long-time partners who, since 1999, turned 300 truckloads of stones into a 1,500 m² construction that now welcomes visitors, celebrates masses, and houses an entire family.
According to them, it all started as a dream: instead of writing a book or composing a poem, the priest decided to build a castle. The father, retired from a coal mining company and now 82 years old, embraced the idea without hesitation. The priest and his father sold other plots of land, purchased the area on top of the hill, and, with great effort, began to raise stone by stone until the project became a reality.
A Castle That Looks Like a Postcard
From any angle, the castle seems ready to become a postcard. Its walls are entirely made of stone, with spacious gardens, fountains, animals roaming the farm, and the main building dominating the top of the hill.
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The result is a mansion that completely escapes the standard of an ordinary house, resembling a European fortress set in the rural interior of Santa Catarina.
The agricultural landscape around reinforces the contrast: machines, plantations, and rural roads frame a work that, at first glance, no one would imagine was mainly constructed by a priest and his father with occasional help from others.
How the Priest and His Father Took the Project off the Paper
The castle project, with rooms, bedrooms, and other areas, was conceived together by the priest and his father. They report that, before any stone was laid, there were many discussions, sketches, and planning for each division of the house.
The purchase of the land also required sacrifice. To keep the area on top of the hill, the priest and his father sold other plots of land they owned, concentrating everything on this endeavor.
From then on, the dream turned into a heavy routine of construction, decision by decision, always with the stones as the main protagonists.
300 Truckloads of Stone and 11 Years of Heavy Work
Construction began in 1999. They used 300 truckloads of stones, which they estimate to be around 300,000 cubic meters of material, until the castle took shape.
The priest states that he has always been passionate about stone and that this element makes all the difference in any construction.
The “bulk” of the work took about 11 years. After that, details were gradually added over time: internal adjustments, finishes, improvements to the exterior, and new spaces.
Before he started working on the main castle, the father “trained” by building a smaller castle; if something didn’t look right, he would dismantle it and start over.
He himself emphasizes that building a stone castle is very different from working with common bricks, which required patience and repetition.
A Complete Home: Farm, Animals, and Simple Living
More than just a tourist spot, the castle is a home. The priest, his 82-year-old father, other family members, and an adopted son live there, who gained prominence when the priest became known as one of the few “clergy fathers” authorized by the local bishop. The daughter-in-law Carla helps with organizing visits to the site.
Daily life is of an active farm: there are cattle, chickens, pigs, fish, and food production for the family’s consumption.
The priest himself defines as someone with a farmer’s soul. Between masses, counseling, and commitments, he continues to take care of the land, the animals, and the rural routine, in a combination that is uncommon between religious life and agriculture.
Biodigester Transforms Manure into Gas for the Kitchen
One of the most curious parts of the project is the focus on sustainability. On the farm, a biodigester transforms cow manure into gas used in the castle’s kitchen.
This helps reduce costs, provides a proper destination for waste, and reinforces the idea of a more self-sufficient life.
In addition to the biodigester, a large portion of the food consumed by the family is produced right there, completing the cycle: animals, planting, gas, and food come from the same property.
The routine, they say, mixes simple technology with tradition, showing that it’s possible to maintain a castle functioning without giving up the logic of a farm.
Chapel, Daily Masses, and Ceiling Paintings
Inside the castle, one of the most striking spaces is the chapel. The paintings rich in details adorn the walls and ceiling, where there is a depiction of the ordination of Father Nivaldo.
There, the family participates in mass every day around 6:15 AM. On Sundays, the celebration at 9:30 AM is open to the community, who can attend the liturgy in the castle itself.
Until about three months ago, the masses were celebrated entirely in Latin; today, there is a mixture of Latin and Portuguese, maintaining the traditional atmosphere but more accessible to the faithful.
New Stone Church for 300 People
The plans of the priest and his father have not stopped at the castle. A project for a new church, also made of stone, with capacity for around 300 people is already underway.
This time, the father acts more as a consultant, due to his age, but he makes it clear that, if he could, he would be back in the middle of the construction.
Even at over 80 years old, he states that he wants to keep working “as long as he can,” dreaming of seeing the new church completed.
The idea is to expand the celebration space to accommodate the community and visitors better, while maintaining the same visual identity in stone that marks the entire property.
Visits to the Castle: How Much It Costs and How It Works
Over time, the place has become a tourist attraction in Treze de Maio. The property, which was not initially built for that purpose, is now one of the most unique points in the region.
Visits are open to the public. According to the family, there is a suggested contribution of 25 reais per adult, while children up to 12 years old do not pay.
The tour inside the castle lasts from 30 to 45 minutes and is always accompanied by a guide, who tells the story of the construction, explains details, and shows the main areas.
At the end, many visitors are able to hear accounts directly from those who made the dream a reality: the priest and his father often chat with newcomers, reminiscing about the difficulties of the construction and reinforcing the sense of gratitude at seeing the project, once only on paper, now completely built in stone.
What impresses you the most about this story: the gigantic castle in the interior of Santa Catarina or the determination of the priest and his father to keep dreaming and working even after so many years?
Se todos os homens atendessem ao chamado de Deus o mundo seria um verdadeiro paraíso! Assim se fez a Europa Medieval.
A determinação dos dois.Parabens