Eurípedes Barsanulfo, the Apostle of the Triângulo: educator, pharmacist and medium
Some names need a long life to enter history. Eurípedes Barsanulfo needed only 38 years. In that time he was an educator, pharmacist, city councillor and medium in Sacramento, in the Triângulo Mineiro, and he founded a school that still operates today, more than a century later. The devotion he inspires in the region earned him a nickname that says it all: Apostle of the Triângulo (Apóstolo do Triângulo).
If you have heard this name on a visit, read it in a book or want to understand why Sacramento appears in every Spiritist itinerary in Minas, this text is for you. As always, we tell the story by separating documented fact from belief.
Sacramento, 1880
Eurípedes Barsanulfo was born on 1 May 1880 in Sacramento, in the Triângulo Mineiro. It was there that he built his entire career, and he made the town one of the centres of Spiritism in the region.
A man of many roles
It is hard to sum up Eurípedes in a single profession. He was an educator, pharmacist, city councillor and medium, sometimes all in the same day.
As an educator, he saw the school as a tool for transformation: education could not be limited to letters and numbers, it had to shape character. As a pharmacist, he looked after the health of the people of Sacramento. As a city councillor, he took part in the public life of the town. And, according to Spiritist tradition, as a medium he devoted himself to the healing and spiritual support of those who came to him.
The Colégio Allan Kardec of 1907
If one of his works had to be chosen as a symbol, it would be the school. On 31 January 1907, Eurípedes founded the Colégio Allan Kardec, referred to as the first Spiritist school in Brazil.
The most striking detail: the school still operates today. More than a century after its foundation, it continues to educate generations in Sacramento, and it has become an essential stop for those who visit the town. The school receives caravans of visitors on Sundays, from 10am to 12pm, when groups from all over Brazil get to know at first hand the institution kept alive by that project of 1907.
The attributed cures
Accounts of cures attributed to Eurípedes Barsanulfo circulate in Sacramento, including cases of tuberculosis. It is important to be precise here: these are accounts, handed down by tradition and by the memory of local families. They cannot be verified from a clinical point of view, and we present them as attributions, which does not diminish the meaning they hold for those who lived them and for the community.
The fact is that this memory of care has passed through generations: visitors still come to Sacramento today in search of the story of the man who attended to everyone.
The Spanish flu of 1918
Eurípedes's life was cut short far too soon. He died on 1 November 1918, a victim of the Spanish flu, the pandemic that swept across the world that year. He was 38 years old.
His early death did not erase his work. The school carried on, the memory carried on, and Sacramento became a destination for those who study the history of Spiritism in Brazil, a subject we explore further in the article on Spiritism and the Triângulo Mineiro.
The living legacy: Alzira Amui
Stories like this either end or survive in the hands of those who carry the work on. In Sacramento, that work has a name: Alzira Bessa França Amui, great-niece of Eurípedes Barsanulfo and pedagogical coordinator of the school that continues the legacy of her great-uncle. Linked to the Grupo Espírita Esperança e Caridade, she receives visitors and caravans, telling the story of the institution in her own words. In 2025, she was honoured by the Câmara de Sacramento (the town council).
For those travelling to the town in a caravan, this meeting is one of the most memorable moments: hearing the story of the Apostle of the Triângulo from a direct descendant, inside the school he founded.
Frequently asked questions
Who was Eurípedes Barsanulfo?
An educator, pharmacist, city councillor and medium, born in Sacramento (MG) on 1 May 1880 and died on 1 November 1918, a victim of the Spanish flu. He became known as the Apostle of the Triângulo.
Why is he called the Apostle of the Triângulo?
For his dedication to education, care and spiritual support in the Triângulo Mineiro region, a devotion that local tradition compared to that of an apostle.
Is the Colégio Allan Kardec still open?
Yes. Founded on 31 January 1907 and referred to as the first Spiritist school in Brazil, it still operates today and receives caravans on Sundays, from 10am to 12pm.
Are the cures of Eurípedes Barsanulfo proven?
No. The cases of healing, including accounts of tuberculosis, are attributions handed down by tradition and by the memory of the region. We treat them as accounts, not as clinical fact.
Who is Alzira Amui?
Great-niece of Eurípedes Barsanulfo and pedagogical coordinator of the school that keeps his legacy alive. Linked to the Grupo Espírita Esperança e Caridade, she was honoured by the Câmara de Sacramento in 2025.
Discover Sacramento and the Triângulo of faith
The story of Eurípedes Barsanulfo takes on another dimension when experienced on the spot: the courtyard of the 1907 school, the voice of Alzira Amui, the town that preserves this memory. All of this is part of the itinerary in what to see in the Spiritist Triângulo Mineiro and in our expeditions, including the November 2026 expedition to Minas and Caldas Novas, departing from Porto Alegre with an accompanied group from start to finish. Get in touch with us on WhatsApp.
The world awaits you. We take care of the rest.
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