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Caxias do Sul (), is a city in Rio Grande do Sul,
Southern Brazil The South Region of Brazil (; ) is one of the five regions of Brazil. It includes the states of Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul, and Santa Catarina, and covers , being the smallest region of the country, occupying only about 6.76% of the territory o ...
, situated in the state's mountainous
Serra Gaúcha The Serra Gaúcha (''Gaucho Highlands'') is a cultural region comprising the mountainous areas in the northeastern portion of Rio Grande do Sul state in southern Brazil. Most of its inhabitants are of German-Brazilian, German and Italian Brazilian ...
region. It was established by
Italian immigrant Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional ...
s on June 20, 1890. Today it is the second
largest city The United Nations uses three definitions for what constitutes a city, as not all cities in all jurisdictions are classified using the same criteria. Cities may be defined as the cities proper, the extent of their urban area, or their metropo ...
in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. In 2020, the population of Caxias do Sul was estimated at 517,451 people, many of whom are of Italian and German descent. The demonym of the citizens of Caxias do Sul is ''Caxiense''.


History

The history of Caxias do Sul began before the arrival of the Italian immigrants when the region was being roamed by cattlemen and occupied by Indigenous peoples. The region was called "Indians' Field" in that period. The arrival of Italian immigrants, mostly farmers in search of a better life from the Veneto, Lombardy, Trento ( northern Italy) as well as other regions in Italy, began in 1875 in
Nova Milano A nova (plural novae or novas) is a transient astronomical event that causes the sudden appearance of a bright, apparently "new" star (hence the name "nova", which is Latin for "new") that slowly fades over weeks or months. Causes of the dramat ...
. Although they received governmental support such as tools, supplies, and seeds, everything had to be reimbursed to the federal government.''Nome''
. Prefeitura Municipal. Acesso 25 set 2010
Two years later, the colonial headquarters of the Indians' Field was given the name Caxias Colony. The town was created on July 20, 1890 and acknowledged in the same year, on August 24. Many economic cycles marked the evolution of the city throughout that century. The first one is connected to the most significant aspect of its cultural identity: the cultivation of vineyards and the production of wine, first for its own consumption, and later on, for commercialization.Giron, pp. 10–12 On June 1, 1910, Caxias do Sul was elevated to the category of city. On the same day, the first train arrived connecting the region to the state capital. Although the immigrants were farmers, many of them worked in other economic sectors. They settled down, urbanized the region, and started a fast-paced process of industrialization. In the countryside,
subsistence agriculture Subsistence agriculture occurs when farmers grow food crops to meet the needs of themselves and their families on smallholdings. Subsistence agriculturalists target farm output for survival and for mostly local requirements, with little or no ...
concentrates on the cultivation of grapes, wheat, and corn. Home-based manufacturing started to emerge and overproduction was commercialized. Home-based manufacturing and Caxias do Sul evolved from having small home-based workshops to large scale factories, some of which are known internationally. Nowadays, Caxias do Sul is an important city, and due to its industrious colonists, is home to vast vineyards, wineries, a varied industrial park, and a rich and dynamic market. Those attributes grant the land great importance; for such reason Caxias do Sul is often called "Pearl of the Colonies", is considered the center of the Italian presence in Southern Brazil. Today Caxias do Sul is one of the region's central hubs, hosting some of Brazil's most diverse economies besides its size; with its industrial parks, vast vineyards, wine commerce, cattle and plantation farms give the land a further dimension.


Caxiense

A ''Caxiense'' () is a citizen of the city of Caxias do Sul. A possible anglicization of Caxiense would be ''Caxian''. Caxiense is also the name of a bus line with headquarters in Caxias do Sul. Caxiense provides transport service with a fleet of coaches to cities in the
Serra Gaúcha The Serra Gaúcha (''Gaucho Highlands'') is a cultural region comprising the mountainous areas in the northeastern portion of Rio Grande do Sul state in southern Brazil. Most of its inhabitants are of German-Brazilian, German and Italian Brazilian ...
. Caxiense also offers a bus service from Caxias do Sul to
Porto Alegre Porto Alegre (, , Brazilian ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. Its population of 1,488,252 inhabitants (2020) makes it the twelfth most populous city in the country and the center of Brazil's fi ...
and the Porto Alegre Salgado Filho International Airport.


Demographics

The following table shows the development of the number of inhabitants according to census data of
IBGE The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics ( pt, Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística; IBGE) is the agency responsible for official collection of statistical, geographic, cartographic, geodetic and environmental informat ...
.


Climate

The city is located in the mountains of the Serra Gaucha, above sea level.Beretta, Pier Luigi. ''Boletim Geográfico 243''. Rio de Janeiro: IBGE, 33(243), nov./dez., 1974. pp. 5–10. Under the Köppen climate classification, Caxias do Sul features an oceanic climate. The average annual temperature is 16 °C (60.8 °F). In July, the coldest month, the average high temperature is 17 °C (62.6 °F) and the average low is 8 °C (46.4 °F); in January, the hottest, they are 26 °C (78.8 °F) and 16 °C (60.8 °F), respectively. Frosts are common in the winter and snow can occur, but it is less common. The last significant snowfalls were recorded in August 2013, when 10–15 cm of snow fell over the city, and in July 2021.


Economy

In Caxias do Sul, several small, medium, large and multinational companies were founded. The city is recognized as an Entrepreneurial-Exporting Hub in the country. Some of these companies are: *
Marcopolo Thor (previously known as Marcopolo) is a family of satellites designed, launched and tested by Hughes Space and Communications (now part of Boeing Satellite Systems) for British Satellite Broadcasting (BSB), and were used for Britain's Direc ...
(buses and truck frames, present in six countries) *Randon S.A. – Implementos e Participações is a mixed holding company, leader of a group of seven companies that employ a workforce of 6,6 thousand employees. They operate in the sectors of road equipment / railway wagons / specialty vehicles/ auto parts/ automotive systems, and services; *Agrale S/A which owns 4 industrial plants, being the only Brazilian company with 100% national capital making vehicles, tractors and diesel engines; * Tramontina silverware company based in neighbouring
Carlos Barbosa Carlos Barbosa is a town in the wine country in Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and w ...
with plants throughout Brazil; *
Grendene Grendene is a Brazilian company that is the world's largest manufacturer of sandals. It was founded by Alexandre Grendene Bartelle and his twin brother Pedro Grendene Bartelle. History In 1971, the Bartelle brothers, Alexandre and Pedro, began ...
, the biggest brazilian manufacturer of shoes based in neighboring
Farroupilha Farroupilha is a city in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, in the Serra Gaúcha between the cities of Bento Gonçalves and Caxias do Sul. The city's total area is 359.3 km2. Farroupilha has 73,061 residents (2020 estimate). Farroupilha hosts a ...
; * Todeschini, a manufacturer of furniture based in nearby Bento Gonçalves, the wine capital of Brazil; *Hyco Hidrover, a manufacturer of hydraulic cylinders for mobile applications.


Languages

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...
is the official national language, and thus the primary language taught in schools. Elderly people can often speak
Talian Talian may refer to: *Talian dialect Talian (or Brazilian Venetian, , , but ) is a dialect of the Venetian language, spoken primarily in the Serra Gaúcha region in the northeast of the state of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. It is also spoken ...
, a regional language based on
Venetian Venetian often means from or related to: * Venice, a city in Italy * Veneto, a region of Italy * Republic of Venice (697–1797), a historical nation in that area Venetian and the like may also refer to: * Venetian language, a Romance language s ...
but also very much influenced by other Italian dialects and by Portuguese.


Colleges and universities

* Universidade de Caxias do Sul (UCS); * Centro Universitário da Serra Gaúcha (FSG); * Faculdade de Tecnologia (FTEC); * Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Rio Grande do Sul (IFRS) * Faculdade Anglo-Americano; * Anhanguera Faculdades; * Faculdade América Latina; * Faculdade dos Imigrantes; * and smaller HEIs


Culture

Culture in Caxias do Sul was not greatly favoured by the first Italian settlers, as they were mostly involved with survival concerns in an area until then unexplored. In the beginning of the 20th century, however, there was some cultural interest developing, and some sculptors, painters and decorators made a significant career in the city and around, like as Pietro Stangherlin, Francisco Meneguzzo and the Zambelli family. They left the first examples of artworks worth of mention, specially in sacred art and building decoration. Julio Calegari and Ulysses Geremia, both photographers, also deserve close attention for their huge collections of
portrait A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expressions are predominant. The intent is to display the likeness, personality, and even the mood of the person. For this re ...
s and views of the old city. As of historical architecture, one may find a few
eclectic Eclectic may refer to: Music * ''Eclectic'' (Eric Johnson and Mike Stern album), 2014 * ''Eclectic'' (Big Country album), 1996 * Eclectic Method, name of an audio-visual remix act * Eclecticism in music, the conscious use of styles alien to th ...
houses built for rich families, public buildings and
Neo-Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...
churches, like as the Cathedral and the Chapel of Santo Sepulcro (Sacred Tomb). The first houses of the immigrants, made of stone, and later traditional wooden buildings, nearly all disappeared as the city developed, but some survive in the rural area, as well as many old chapels."A preservação não recusa o novo". In ''Boletim Memória''. Caxias do Sul: Museu e Arquivo Histórico Municipal, nº4, 1992 Current laws protect every building older than 50 years, but many have been destroyed or altered, despite official protection. The city nowadays has many intensely active museums and cultural centers, both private and official, and the Universidade de Caxias do Sul (UCS) which sponsors an art gallery, a museum, a huge library and a symphonic orchestra. The city is hosting the 2022 Summer Deaflympics between 1 to 15 May 2022, postponed two times due to the COVID-19 pandemic, becoming the first ever Deaflympics to be ever held in South America and the Latin America.


Tourism and recreation

The city has many tourist attractions: museums, churches, culture, music and all types of leisure activities. Nature can be found in the city and the surroundings.''Apresentação''
Secretaria da Cultura
The city also hosts the National Grape and Wine Festival, which celebrates the Italian heritage. It's one of the most famous events in the country and it's called
Festa da Uva Festa da Uva (Festival of the grape) is a celebration of Italian heritage and culture held biennially in Caxias do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, in southern Brazil. The Festa da Uva is held in February of every even-numbered year. During the Festa da U ...
, when lots of merrymaking, wine-drinking, grapes and people animate the month of February, every two years (on even-numbered years). Visitors may eat cheese, grapes and various Brazilian wines. Visitors interested in the regions wine can also visit the Château Lacave Castle, a 6th Century-style medieval structure that currently functions as a
winery A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feature warehouses, ...
. Caxias do Sul is also one of the four settlements along the
Caminhos da Colônia Caminhos da Colônia, Portuguese for "Colony Pathway", is a scenic tourist route of four settlements in the Serra Gaúcha in the state of Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil. The 35 km route runs between the cities of Caxias do Sul, Flor ...
scenic tourist route in the
Serra Gaúcha The Serra Gaúcha (''Gaucho Highlands'') is a cultural region comprising the mountainous areas in the northeastern portion of Rio Grande do Sul state in southern Brazil. Most of its inhabitants are of German-Brazilian, German and Italian Brazilian ...
. Air transport is made through Hugo Cantergiani Regional Airport, with a runway measuring 1,939 meters in length, which accommodates
Boeing 737-800 The Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as 737NG, or 737 Next Gen, is a narrow-body aircraft powered by two jet engines and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Launched in 1993 as the third generation derivative of the Boeing ...
and Embraer 195E2 aircraft with capacities for 186 and 136 passengers respectively, with capacity to operate aircraft of up to 200 seats and annual capacity of 600 thousand passengers.


Football teams

Caxias do Sul is home to the S.E.R. Caxias and Juventude football clubs. Even though both teams have claimed the
Campeonato Gaúcho The Campeonato Gaúcho Série A1 (Gaúcho Championship A1 Series or Série A1), officially named as Campeonato da Primeira Divisão de Futebol Profissional da FGF - Divisão Especial - Série A1 and commonly known as Campeonato Gaúcho or Gauchã ...
, Juventude has accomplished more at a national level, having played in the first division of the Campeonato Brasileiro for more than fifteen seasons and winning the 1999 edition of the
Copa do Brasil The Copa do Brasil ( en, Brazil Cup) is a knockout football competition played by 92 teams, representing all 26 Brazilian states plus the Federal District. It is the Brazilian domestic cup and the Brazilian equivalent of the FA Cup, Taça de P ...
. Caxias has been playing in the fourth division since 2016. Juventude made it back into the first division in 2020. Juventude has the third-largest fan base in the state, just behind the two major teams of the state capital city,
Porto Alegre Porto Alegre (, , Brazilian ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. Its population of 1,488,252 inhabitants (2020) makes it the twelfth most populous city in the country and the center of Brazil's fi ...
.


Sister city

* Little Rock, Arkansas, United States


Notable people

* Tite, the head coach of the
Brazil national football team The Brazil national football team ( pt, Seleção Brasileira de Futebol), nicknamed ''Seleção Canarinho'' (‘Canary Squad’, after their bright yellow jersey), represents Brazil in men's international football and is administered by the B ...
*
Alex Telles Alex Nicolao Telles (; born 15 December 1992) is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a left-back for La Liga club Sevilla, on loan from Premier League club Manchester United, and the Brazil national team. Telles started his car ...
, football player *
Everton Giovanella Everton Giovanella (born 13 September 1970) is a Brazilian retired Association football, footballer who played as a Midfielder#Defensive midfielder, defensive midfielder. He was best known for tireless physical display, and played most of his pro ...
, football player *
Thaisa Serafini Thaisa Serafini (born February 14, 1985 in Caxias do Sul) is a professional squash Squash may refer to: Sports * Squash (sport), the high-speed racquet sport also known as squash racquets * Squash (professional wrestling), an extremely one-s ...
, squash player * André Todescato, former football player


See also

*
São Romédio Community The São Romédio Community ( pt, Comunidade de São Romédio) is an historic neighbourhood in Caxias do Sul, Brazil. History The community was founded in mid-1876 during the Italian colonization of the Rio Grande do Sul. (Some immigrants had ...


References


External links


City Hall of Caxias do SulStreet Map of Caxias do SulLocal Newspaper "O Pioneiro" (The Pioneer)The University of Caxias do SulJuventude Soccer ClubS.E.R. Caxias Soccer ClubCaxias Bus Station and SchedulesCaxias do Sul Tourist GuideOfficial Festa da Uva Site (The Grape Festival)Chateau Lacave Castle
{{DEFAULTSORT:Caxias Do Sul 1890 establishments in Brazil Populated places established in 1890 Municipalities in Rio Grande do Sul