The family
Many people. A shared story.
Nelson and Cleusa had five children. Their children grew up, started families and moved to different countries. Grandchildren followed, along with new customs, accents and ways of spending time together.
We are Brazilian, with Italian, Japanese and Portuguese roots. The vila, a cluster of homes, is our attempt to bring everyone a little closer. Famiglia is Italian for family.
Vô and Vó are Brazilian for Grandpa and Grandma.
Who's who
The grandparents, their five children and the partners who joined later, and Lira (the first grown-up grandchild) with Felipe. Each with what makes them themselves, told plainly.
The grandparents
Vô Nelson
Engineer, man of faith, and a man of few words
Reserved, steady, and much loved by his grandchildren.
Vó Cleusa
A teacher by trade, the family's matriarch at heart
Her story shows up at lunch, in her advice and in the way she keeps the family close, even with an ocean in between.
Tê and Gabi
Tê
The eldest: intense, direct and loyal to his own
He is hard to mistake for anyone else. With Gabi, he is the family's home base in Brazil: the harbour for everyone who arrives.
Gabi
Fearless and ambitious, with the family always in the plan
She likes to grow in her career and go after what she wants. Next to Tê, she is a partner who supports him and follows her own path too.
Dani and Vaninha
Dani
The one who draws plans in AutoCAD, all the way from Canada
He also knows his way around woodwork. Distance changes the time zone, not his place in the vila conversation.
Vaninha
Determined: once she picks a path, she sees it through
She works hard and puts in whatever it takes to build what she thinks is best for herself and her family.
Lira and Felipe
Lira
The first grandchild, curious and set on her own path
Independent and always ready to help, she loves animals, nature and technology.
Felipe
Tech, with a Rio accent: the family's only carioca (so far)
He works in technology, is easy company and close to his family. He joined the Famiglia alongside Lira.
Fi and Mi
Fi
The one who took the vila idea to the family group chat
He spent more than ten years in the United States, in tech and start-ups. He missed the full house of his childhood, kept insisting, and the idea became the vila.
Mi
Art, fashion, and the voice that tells the stories
She studied art and fashion and makes things with her hands. She narrates many of the Famiglia's videos.
Dé and Di
Dé
Psychologist and educator, who started over across the ocean
She has worked for years in education, guidance, coaching and therapy, focused on women and families. She was the sibling with the deepest roots, and still she left Brazil with Di and the kids to open a new chapter in Portugal. In the family, she is the heart of the group.
Di
Videomaker and director: the eye behind the camera
He knows where to put the camera and how to tell a story. He also likes getting his hands dirty: he knows cars and once built a buggy. At the vila he splits his time between the building work and filming the family.
Gá and Carol
Gá
The youngest, an architect who builds with wood
He loves nature and being on the move. After living in Australia, he started a new chapter in Portugal with Carol. Today he leads the building work.
Carol
Barista, and one of the family's photographers
She came from Australia with Gá and documents life in Portugal up close. In 2026, the two of them became parents.
and 8 more grandchildren
9 in all, counting Lira. The younger ones are part of family life and may appear in shared moments, never as the focus. On this site they have no names or ages.
Who lives where
| Who | Where |
|---|---|
| Vô Nelson and Vó Cleusa | Brazil and Portugal |
| Tê and Gabi | Brazil |
| Dani and Vaninha | Canada |
| Fi and Mi | Portugal (they came from the United States) |
| Dé and Di | Portugal (they came from Brazil) |
| Gá and Carol | Portugal (they came from Australia) |
- Vô Nelson and Vó Cleusa: Brazil and Portugal
- Tê and Gabi: Brazil
- Dani and Vaninha: Canada
- Fi and Mi: Portugal (they came from the United States)
- Dé and Di: Portugal (they came from Brazil)
- Gá and Carol: Portugal (they came from Australia)
Now watch
It's more fun now you know who Gá is.
Get the family letter
An e-mail from the family, now and then. At most one a month.
Thought of someone?
Send it to the family group (opens in a new tab)