Santo Amaro da Imperatriz

Santo Amaro da Imperatriz on the map of Santa Catarina

Santo Amaro da Imperatriz is a small town in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina.

History

The history of Santo Amaro da Imperatriz is closely associated with the discovery of thermal springs in the town in 1813. The imperial government dispatched after the discovery of a Polizeikontigent which should secure the area, which was inhabited in the time of Indians.

On March 18, 1818 under King Dom João VI. the local hospital completed. This means that the first official bathhouse in Brazil was built. From 1832 to 1839, a chapel was built in honor of St. Anne, in the imperial couple Dom Pedro II and Dona Teresa Cristina Maria de Bourbon was officially received in October 1845. In advance the construction of a building with bedrooms and baths were located. Through the water of thermal springs disease should be alleviated. As a tribute to the Empress later became the district of Caldas do Cubatão where the imperial guests lingered since renamed Imperatriz in Caldas.

The area was settled by immigrants from São José and Enseada de Brito, was called first Arraial do Cubatão. The aim was to build a commercial center for the nearby mountain region. Traders from the mountain region required especially after flour, sugar and other staple foods, which meant that the church grew. Later, about 30 ethnic German families from Teresópolis settled.

On May 29, 1854 was declared a Freguesia what the establishment of a parish ( parish ) named Santo Amaro meant. As the headquarters of the parish served the existing Church of St. Anne. In order to serve the Catholic German immigrants, the first Franciscan community was founded in 1861 in Santa Catarina.

On April 24, 1894, the management unit ( Municipio ) Palhoça was founded. Santo Amaro da Imperatriz was attached together with the community Enseada de Brito, the newly formed administrative area. 1890, the parish of Nossa Senhora do Rosário the community Enseada de Brito was included in the parish of Santo Amaro. The town church was first built in 1907, was consecrated by the Bishop Diocese de Dom João Becker on November 12, 1911.

In 1949, Santo Amaro was officially renamed as Imperatriz in Santo Amaro. The law of January 6, 1958 Santo Amaro da Imperatriz an independent Municipio.

Geography

Of the 338 km ² of the area of Santo Amaro da Imperatriz 72 % are protected. The surrounding mountains and wild rivers make the area a charming landscape. Santo Amaro da Imperatriz is via the federal highway BR -282, which connects the cities of Lages and Florianópolis, accessible. The river flows through the Rio Cubatão Municipio.

Population, social, economic

The healthy water of Santo Amaro da Imperatriz and his beautiful, unspoilt countryside is responsible for a large part of the economic turnover of the city. The hotels where you can let the water sound effect on you, are very well known in the south of Brazil. White water rafting on the wild rivers find an international audience. The mineral springs are used by two large mineral water bottlers. Livestock farming and the cultivation of corn, tomatoes and potatoes are other sectors of the economy.

Feast of the Holy Spirit

Since 1854 takes place annually the feast of the Holy Spirit in Santo Amaro da Imperatriz, a festival of faith and Azorean traditions. In Santo Amaro da Imperatriz the festival de Holy Spirit is aligned with much pomp and pageantry and annually attracts many visitors and pilgrims. The festival is deeply rooted in the community and is an expression of religious -rooted community.

Tourism

Santo Amaro da Imperatriz offers many recreational opportunities, and its hot springs, scenic beauty and its religious and cultural festivals. The beautiful landscape provides a wonderful frame. The water quality of the thermal springs, which originate in Caldas da Imperatriz district with a pleasant temperature of 39 degrees Celsius and has been examined by several institutes and even in international comparison as very high rate.

The imposing mountains of the region and the natural landscape make the area a center of attraction for the increasingly attractive ecotourism. The extreme sports paragliding, Motocross, canoeing and white water rafting are an indispensable part of the annual event calendar.

On the edge of the National Park Tabuleiro, Santo Amaro has since Imperatriz numerous waterfalls, including the waterfall of the Rio Cubatão with a difference in height of three meters, which is also used for rafting, and Cobrinha de Ouro, an amalgamation of several waterfalls. In addition, the Salto do Rio Matias offers with 60 m head an impressive spectacle.

The Morro Queimado offers with a height of 694 meters a breathtaking view of the famous coastal region of Florianópolis. The top of the mountain can be reached by car. Paragliders take advantage of the small plane at the summit as a starting place.

Language

Approximately the first 100 years after the founding of the colony of German was the predominant language in Santo Amaro da Imperatriz. It was initially used as the sole language since the first colonists came exclusively from Germany. With increasing immigration from other European countries and Brazilian internal migration Imperatriz were spoken, other languages ​​(especially Italian and Polish ) in Santo Amaro da. But they were limited to the respective immigrants. As a lingua franca was in Santo Amaro da Imperatriz and throughout the region German. The German-speaking emigrants and their descendants possessed a good infrastructure of schools, clubs, theaters and similar facilities.

With the policy of the Estado Novo (1937-1954) under the appointed with dictatorial powers President Getúlio Vargas a Nationalisierungskampgne was carried out in Brazil, which also affected the German -speaking community since the state has promoted the assimilation process. When Brazil entered on the Allied side in the Second World War, the situation for the German -speaking population took another turn. The use of the German language was banned and the Portuguese also held in Santo Amaro da Imperatriz feeder. Although today Portuguese the dominant language in Santo Amaro da Imperatriz, has been preserved in some parts of the population, German, especially in the more rural areas, as their language.