at a glance

For centuries the location acted as the primary port for the trafficking of slaves, and was a key producer of coffee. It was also one of the greatest exporters of Brazil wood to the rest of the world.

In the early 19th century the royal family travelled to this port to vacation over the summer months, which quickly made the region highly coveted by social elites, who threw large, ostentatious parties. The end of the century brought with it the railroad, which greatly improved access to the area, nevertheless the region remained largely peaceful and remote.

Electricity arrived as recent as the middle of the 20th century and from that point on the region developed substantially. A number of factories emerged in this period, which brought with them migrants seeking work, and hence significant residential expansion.