Largo São Francisco

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Largo São Francisco is a popular name for the Universidade de São Paulo's traditional Law School, located in São Paulo, Brazil, founded by Brazilian regent Dom Pedro I in 1827. It is claimed to be the first university in Brazil, although two other academic institutions, specifically from Olinda and Manaus, also dispute such title.

The school was first installed in a monastery building from the Franciscan order, which was later rebuilt many times, one of them after a fire. The most recent construction dates from 1934. A number of Brazilian politicians and famous writers have studied at Largo São Francisco since its foundation - for instance, Monteiro Lobato, Castro Alves and Rui Barbosa.

It is said that the students who came from all over the country to study at São Francisco gave the then dull town of São Paulo a bohemian and cultural lifestyle, which is now a part of the city's character.

There is a gravestone in its patio, where Julius Frank, a German professor dear to students, was buried in 1841. Because Frank was a Protestant, he could not be buried in any of the Catholic graveyards in São Paulo, so the students chose to bury him inside the school as homage.

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Last updated on Monday July 07, 2008 at 09:34:51 PDT (GMT -0700)
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