José Nicoletti Filho (1871-1937) was a federalist public personality, revolutionary, sub-intendant, administrator and founder of the second most visited touristic city in

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

, the city of

Gramado Gramado is a municipality in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. It is located in the Serra Gaúcha region. The city was originally settled by Azorean descendants and later received a contingent of German and Italian immigrants. Gramado is ...

. Born in

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, he immigrated to Brazil with his parents Giuseppe Nicoletti and Theresa Costa Nicoletti. He participated on the

Federalist Revolution The Federalist Revolution (Portuguese language, Portuguese: ''Revolução Federalista'') was a civil war that took place in southern Brazil between 1893 and 1895, fought by the federalists, opponents of Rio Grande do Sul state president, Júlio ...

and earned the rank of Major.

Career and social contributions

In 1904 the President of the state of

Rio Grande do Sul Rio Grande do Sul (, ; ; "Great River of the South") is a Federative units of Brazil, state in the South Region, Brazil, southern region of Brazil. It is the Federative units of Brazil#List, fifth-most populous state and the List of Brazilian s ...

Borges de Medeiros Antônio Augusto Borges de Medeiros (19 November 1863 – 25 April 1961) was a Brazilian lawyer, judge, and politician. He served as Chief Judge and was appointed as the President of Rio Grande do Sul for a total of 25 years (1898–1908 and 1913� ...

, invited Nicoletti - as a major and as police-chief of the city of

Taquara Taquara is a municipality in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Taquara is located 72 kilometers (44 miles) from Porto Alegre Porto Alegre (, ; , ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian Federative units of Brazil, state of Rio ...

- to assume the headship of the 5th district of Taquara and to organize it, politically and administratively. Nicoletti abandoned all his private properties (valued at $500.000.000 at the time) for, as he said, "the wellness of the collectivity". The city was founded in September 1912, but only registered on 17 January 1913, under Act number 139. Letters written by Nicoletti to Sr. Borges de Medeiros confirm this.

Legacy

The house where Gramado's first administrator lived in has been registered as a cultural patrimony and it's currently being restored due to the posterior installation of the most important social-cultural and historic source of the city. The Major Nicoletti Museum will not only contain the Nicoletti's family story but also the story of the families who contributed to this honourable man build the city Gramado represents today national and internationally.

References

*DAROS, M. Raízes de São Marcos e Criúva, 2005. * REKSLER, CG; KOPPE, IC. Era uma vez..! Relatos de Gramado, 1993. * DAROS, M. Grãos Relatos da História de Gramado Monument Major Nicoletti

* DAROS, M. Grãos Relatos da História de Gramado ¹ Brazilian city founders Italian emigrants to Brazil 19th-century Brazilian military personnel 20th-century Brazilian people 1871 births 1937 deaths People from Veneto People from Taquara {{Brazil-mil-bio-stub