Sé (district of São Paulo)
Sé is the name of the most central borough in the city of São Paulo, in Brazil, divided in eight districts. The name comes from the presence of São Paulo Cathedral in the borough, and it is also the name of the central square. Also located in the Sé are the Pátio do Colégio, site of the foundation of the city in 1554, the São Paulo stock exchange, the mayor's palace and other historical buildings, including the Municipal Theater of São Paulo, the São Paulo Music Hall and the central railway Luz Station.
Immigrant groups established in the Sé borough include Italians, Japanese, and Jews. Sé is also the borough with the largest number of subway stations. There are many areas of popular commerce, like the 25 de Março Street, and high-class areas such as Pacaembu and Higienópolis. The famous Paulista Avenue is the southwest limit of this borough, with the borough of Pinheiros.
The neighbourhood has developed between the three ancient churches of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Saint Benedict and Saint Francis of Assisi.
This borough is also an important college center with the very traditional Law School of the University of São Paulo and Mackenzie University, founded by North American Presbyterian missionaries in the 19th century.
