Old Arsenal

The Casa do Trem Bélico (Old Arsenal), one of the few old military buildings still left standing in the country and the oldest public building in Santos, is an example of colonial architecture of its day. It is believed to have been built between 1640 and 1646, but records show its existence only from 1734.

The city’s first whipping post was erected here. The building, which was used to store arms and ammunition to protect the then Vila de Santos settlement, became an Army Reserve Training School in 1948.

The name Trem Bélico comes from informal use of the word trem, to mean ‘a variety of objects’.