The refuge of Zeca Pagodinho: place with horses, more than 40 cats and tricycle for walking; look

Zeca Pagodinho may even maintain an apartment in Barra da Tijuca, West Zone of Rio, but it is in Xerém, Duque de Caxias district, in the Baixada Fluminense, which he says he really feels at home.

The place where it lives surrounded by animals and nature is, according to him, a place of peace, affection and samba – and also the favorite scenario to receive illustrious friends. Ney Matogrosso, Maria Bethânia, Patricia Pillar and Ana Maria Braga are some of the names that have passed by.

The space, affectionately nicknamed “Quintal do Zeca”, is the scene of samba wheels, relaxed lunches and unusual moments. Last Friday (4), for example, Ney Matogrosso was received for a visit. After talking a lot, the two were seen strolling tricycle on the ground – the same red vehicle that has already taken personalities such as Maria Beltrão and the carnival Gabriel Haddad and Leonardo Bora. The video of the tour, published on Zeca’s social networks, went viral among fans.

Far beyond leisure, the site also houses the Zeca Pagodinho Institute, created by the singer to offer cultural and social activities to children in the region. One of the most important projects developed there is equine therapy, a therapeutic method that uses horses to assist in the development of people with special needs. The practice is mainly focused on children from 5 to 8 years old and is one of the priorities of the initiative.

The site also houses dozens of animals. “It has pig, duck, rabbit, chicken, dog and more than 40 cats,” said Zeca in an interview with TV Globo’s “É de Casa” program. He also joked that part of the feline collection is grandson’s responsibility: “Everything that is street animal he sees, he brings here.”

Since 1991, when he bought the ground, Zeca adopted Xerém as a home. It was there that he and his wife, Monica Piquet, raised two of the couple’s four children and began to live a quieter routine, far from urban agitation. Born in Irajá, in the North Zone of Rio, the singer has always valued the simple life and maintains this connection on his property.