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The city of Embu origin goes to the old village of M'Boy, created by Jesuit priests during the first half of XVII century. M'Boy, Boy, Bohi, Bohu, Emboi, Alboy, Embohu. Sérgio Buarque de Holanda [brazilian historiographer] recorded several spelling for the Indian word naming the wide region where the village first appeared. The legend says the M'Boy name - great snake in Tupi-Guaranian language - was a homage to the Indian who has saved Belchior de Pontes priest from death, who was an essential person in the village history. Soon after this Indian died from great snake bit and then involved by it. According to Leonardo Arroyo, the word M'Boy comes from Mbeîu, meaning rocky, grouping, bunch or bunchy.
The basic principle was to fix the Indians around the churches and schools, protecting them from slavery. On the other hand, the natives had to submit to the new discipline, which frequently was chocking against Indian culture. The Indian became sedentary farmers in addition to the adjustment to the catholic moral allowing only one marriage. Maybe due the Indians adjustment problem to the new life, in the end of XVII and early in XVIII century, Belchior de Pontes Priest, then the village director, decided to move it to another place not too far. According to Manual Fonseca priest, in the book "A Vida do Venerável Padre Belchior de Pontes" [The Belchior de Pontes Priest's Respectable Life], the new village was located in a place surrounded by creeks having so many small fishes that assisted in the Indians support. Belchior de Pontes priest, constructed in the new place a new church, larger than the first one, and maintained the worship to Lady of the Rosary. In the middle of XVIII century, the village had 261 Indians and showed prosperity signs then detaching from the others. The Jesuits home had been construed with Indians assistance.
Cotton was produced which as warped and weave by Indian women in addition to manioc, wheat and vegetables. Some records exist on exports to Rio de Janeiro and Bahia in 1757.
Anyway, in such hills was Fernão Dias Pais farm - uncle of the famous emerald hunter - and Catarina Camacho, his wife. In January 24, 1624, the couple donated the land to the Jesuits, including several Indians living around the main house. Catarina Camacho imposed two conditions for the donation: worship to Saint Crucifix and the Lady of Rosary, to whom the farm chapel was dedicated. The donation was convenient to the Jesuits. Being attached by Indians from Maniçoba village, next to Piratininga (village originating the city of São Paulo), they were looking for a safer place to continue the mission to convert the natives. The new village was in junction from roads from sea to hinterlands, a strategic place. Being installed, the priests started the conversion work similar to other Jesuit villages.
The village has other peculiarity, the existing music band, respected in the region and composed by Guaranian Indians. Then two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon were dedicated to the practice. The music group took part in the Mass and procession, performing in surrounds places. In 1759, Jesuits were expelled from Brazil by Marquis of Pombal order, and then Embu church went to diocesan priests. The Indian population dispersed then and in 1873, only 75 Indians and half-blood remained living in the place. In the beginning of the XIX century the village showed the decadence and remaining in background up to the 20's in this century, when Duarte Leopoldo e Silva decided on the first church recovery.
In 1939 and 1940, the Jesuit compound - comprising Lady of Rosary church and Jesuits home - was considered Domestic Historic Assets and restored by SPHAN (current IPHAN - Brazilian Historic and Artistic Assets Institute).
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