Former Penitentiary Building, the current Casa da Cultura had its fundamental Stone settled in in 1850 and it was concluded in 1867. Designed by Pernambuco engineer Mamede Alves Ferreira, acordding to contemporary patterns at the time, it has got a cruciform outline, guided according to quarters. It was built for 200 prisoners. In 1973, no more used as a penitentiary, it it was restored and turned into na artscraf and cultural Center. Out of the 156 cells, only one cell remains as memory of that time the building used to be a penitentiary.