Francisco, the retired man who lives in a 1920s adobe house isolated from the world: “There’s always someone who comes by”

Francisco Matías is an 80‑year‑old retiree living in the small town of Hidrolândia, deep in the countryside of Ceará, Brazil. Locals know him as “Seu Chiquinho,” and his life couldn’t be further from the fast pace and constant noise of the modern world. His home — a 105‑year‑old clay house — feels like a place where time simply stopped.

Built in 1920 by his father, Antonio Matías, the house still stands as a living example of the traditional rural architecture found throughout Brazil’s Northeast. It’s more than a home; it’s a window into another era.

A return to his roots

Although Seu Chiquinho spent parts of his life in Rio de Janeiro, city living never appealed to him. He eventually returned to the place where he grew up — a home that, he says, stays pleasantly cool even during the region’s warm winters. He hopes to restore the structure, but only in ways that preserve its original character and long history.

A slower rhythm of life

His daily routine reflects a lifestyle that’s becoming increasingly rare. Each week, he draws water from a nearby well, storing it in clay pots inside the house. When it’s time to cook, he uses a wood‑burning stove — a method that once defined rural life but is now disappearing across much of Brazil.

Though he lives alone, he’s far from isolated. “There’s always someone who stops by for half an hour, just to chat,” he says. It’s a simple rhythm, rooted in community and tradition.

In a Brazil racing toward modernity, Seu Chiquinho’s way of life stands as a quiet reminder that some traditions still endure — and some people choose to live at a pace the rest of the world has long forgotten.

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