São Bento do Sapucaí
Encyclopedia
São Bento do Sapucaí is a Brazil
ian town in São Paulo
state.
Once known as a religious and traditional town, the municipality of São Bento do Sapucaí, now with its population reaching 10,000 inhabitants, is known for its mild weather, beautiful landscapes, and great conditions for the practice of many action sports.
that went up the Serra da Mantiqueira trying to reach the gold mining regions of Minas Gerais
. The town was founded on August 6, 1832 and Saint Benedict
was chosen as the patron saint.
The name of the place comes from the saint
(São Bento
in Portuguese
) and the river Sapucaí, that crosses town.
Around 1850, José Pereira Alves and his wife, Ignez Leite de Toledo donated a large area of land to the town, with the purpose of building a great church in honor of St. Benedict. The town's folk went in a religious procession to retrieve an image
of the saint from the nearest chapel
(which was almost in Sapucaí-Mirim
, Minas Gerais
), and then the "Igreja Matriz de São Bento" (St. Benedict's Matrix Church) started to be built by the slaves. Still today, you can find in there paintings of well-known artists that date back to 1853.
, on a mountain chain called Serra da Mantiqueira, it has a total area of 251.2 km². The topography
is very mountainous. There are many hills and waterfalls (the highest being "Toldi" waterfall with more than 200 m). The city's average altitude
is 886 meters, and the highest peak is a rock compound known as "Pedra do Baú" at 2,304 m meters high ( 340 m high with an altitude of 1,964 m).
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian town in São Paulo
São Paulo (state)
São Paulo is a state in Brazil. It is the major industrial and economic powerhouse of the Brazilian economy. Named after Saint Paul, São Paulo has the largest population, industrial complex, and economic production in the country. It is the richest state in Brazil...
state.
Once known as a religious and traditional town, the municipality of São Bento do Sapucaí, now with its population reaching 10,000 inhabitants, is known for its mild weather, beautiful landscapes, and great conditions for the practice of many action sports.
History
First settlings in that area were made by BandeirantesBandeirantes
The bandeirantes were composed of Indians , caboclos , and some whites who were the captains of the Bandeiras. Members of the 16th–18th century South American slave-hunting expeditions called bandeiras...
that went up the Serra da Mantiqueira trying to reach the gold mining regions of Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais is one of the 26 states of Brazil, of which it is the second most populous, the third richest, and the fourth largest in area. Minas Gerais is the Brazilian state with the largest number of Presidents of Brazil, the current one, Dilma Rousseff, being one of them. The capital is the...
. The town was founded on August 6, 1832 and Saint Benedict
Benedict of Nursia
Saint Benedict of Nursia is a Christian saint, honored by the Roman Catholic Church as the patron saint of Europe and students.Benedict founded twelve communities for monks at Subiaco, about to the east of Rome, before moving to Monte Cassino in the mountains of southern Italy. There is no...
was chosen as the patron saint.
The name of the place comes from the saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
(São Bento
São Bento
São Bento is the name of several parishes:-In the Azores:*São Bento, a parish in the district of Angra do Heroísmo-In Brazil:*Pinhal de São Bento, Paraná*São Bento, Maranhão*São Bento, Paraíba...
in Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
) and the river Sapucaí, that crosses town.
Around 1850, José Pereira Alves and his wife, Ignez Leite de Toledo donated a large area of land to the town, with the purpose of building a great church in honor of St. Benedict. The town's folk went in a religious procession to retrieve an image
Image
An image is an artifact, for example a two-dimensional picture, that has a similar appearance to some subject—usually a physical object or a person.-Characteristics:...
of the saint from the nearest chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
(which was almost in Sapucaí-Mirim
Sapucaí-Mirim
Sapucaí-Mirim is a town and municipality in the state of Minas Gerais in the Southeast region of Brazil.-References:...
, Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais is one of the 26 states of Brazil, of which it is the second most populous, the third richest, and the fourth largest in area. Minas Gerais is the Brazilian state with the largest number of Presidents of Brazil, the current one, Dilma Rousseff, being one of them. The capital is the...
), and then the "Igreja Matriz de São Bento" (St. Benedict's Matrix Church) started to be built by the slaves. Still today, you can find in there paintings of well-known artists that date back to 1853.
Geography
Located 164 km northeast of São PauloSão Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
, on a mountain chain called Serra da Mantiqueira, it has a total area of 251.2 km². The topography
Topography
Topography is the study of Earth's surface shape and features or those ofplanets, moons, and asteroids...
is very mountainous. There are many hills and waterfalls (the highest being "Toldi" waterfall with more than 200 m). The city's average altitude
Altitude
Altitude or height is defined based on the context in which it is used . As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The reference datum also often varies according to the context...
is 886 meters, and the highest peak is a rock compound known as "Pedra do Baú" at 2,304 m meters high ( 340 m high with an altitude of 1,964 m).