Why Chico Xavier lived in Uberaba: the story of the city that welcomed the medium

Some cities enter history through a battle, a gold rush or a port. Uberaba entered it through hospitality. It was there that Chico Xavier moved in 1959, not because of a mystical calling, as many imagine, but because of work transfer paperwork. The rest is the story of a man and a city that grew together for more than four decades.

Whether you have thought about visiting Uberaba, have already joined the Spiritist Caravan departing from Porto Alegre, or simply want to understand why so many people make the pilgrimage there, this text is for you. We tell the story and, as always, we separate documented fact from belief.

A work transfer in 1959

Chico Xavier's move to Uberaba began at the Ministry of Agriculture: he was transferred from the model farm in Pedro Leopoldo to the Fazenda Modelo do Triângulo, in Uberaba. Spiritist tradition records his arrival at his new home on 5 January 1959.

In other words, the reason was bureaucratic, the reassignment of a civil servant. But the effect was historic. From that year on, Uberaba became the city of Chico Xavier, and his name has been linked with the city's ever since.

Forty-three years in a single city

Chico Xavier lived in Uberaba from 1959 until 30 June 2002, when he died, more than four decades in the same city. During that time, Uberaba became the address of the Spiritist faith in Brazil: people from all over the country began travelling to Minas Gerais in the hope of a conversation, a letter, some comfort.

The numbers behind his work are striking, and they are facts: Chico psychographed more than 450 books over his lifetime, with 50 million copies sold by 2010. He gave all of his royalties to charitable institutions and never charged for the letters he delivered to bereaved families. The attribution of these texts to spirits is, of course, a matter of Spiritist faith. We tell this story in more detail in the article on psychography and Chico Xavier's letters.

The Nobel Peace Prize that never came

Popular recognition crossed borders. Chico Xavier was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1981 and 1982. The 1981 campaign, led by Augusto César Vanucci, gathered about 2 million signatures, an enormous mobilisation for the time, and one that says a great deal about the place he held in the hearts of Brazilians. The prize, as is well known, never came; the campaign, however, went down in history.

What Uberaba preserves of him today

After 2002, the city turned memory into hospitality. Today there are three main places that keep Chico's story alive in Uberaba.

The Casa de Memórias e Lembranças is his former home, now a museum with personal belongings, at Rua Dom Pedro I 165. It is open Monday to Friday, from 8am to 11am and from 1pm to 5.30pm, and on Saturday from 8am to 12 noon. It is the place where the medium's daily life is on view: the objects, the simplicity, the routine.

The Memorial Chico Xavier, at Avenida João XXIII 2011, opened on 10 June 2016 and reopened on 30 June 2024 after refurbishment works, with an expected 90,000 visitors a year. Admission is free, and the initial collection includes 187 donated psychographed works.

There is also his tomb, in the Cemitério São João Batista, open every day from 7am to 6pm. For many visitors, it is the stop for silence: a moment of prayer, gratitude or simply a pause before heading home.

For a wider overview of the Spiritist route in the region, covering Uberaba and its surroundings, see our guide to what to see in the Spiritist Triângulo Mineiro.

A city that learned to welcome

What impresses most in Uberaba is not a monument but the way visitors are received. The city has grown used to people who arrive moved, some looking for answers, many simply to give thanks. This spirit of welcome is, perhaps, the most living legacy of Chico Xavier's 43 years there.

Frequently asked questions

In what year did Chico Xavier move to Uberaba?

In 1959. Spiritist tradition records his arrival on 5 January of that year.

Why did Chico Xavier move to Uberaba?

Because of a transfer at the Ministry of Agriculture: he left the model farm in Pedro Leopoldo and was assigned to the Fazenda Modelo do Triângulo, in Uberaba.

How long did Chico Xavier live in Uberaba?

From 1959 until his death on 30 June 2002, more than four decades in the city.

Where is Chico Xavier buried?

In the Cemitério São João Batista, in Uberaba, open every day from 7am to 6pm.

Was Chico Xavier nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize?

Yes, in 1981 and 1982. The 1981 campaign, led by Augusto César Vanucci, gathered about 2 million signatures.

Come and see the city of Chico Xavier

Uberaba is many kilometres from Porto Alegre, but the journey is simpler than it seems: the Chico Xavier itinerary from Porto Alegre takes you as part of a group, with support from boarding to the return, and the November 2026 expedition to Minas and Caldas Novas includes this experience. Message us on WhatsApp to secure your place.

The world is waiting for you. We take care of the rest.

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