Caxias do Sul

Caxias do Sul is a Brazilian municipality in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Located in the northeast of the state at an elevation of 817 meters, it is the largest city in the Serra Gaúcha region, the second most populous city in Rio Grande do Sul, surpassed only by the state capital Porto Alegre, and the 47th largest city in Brazil.

Throughout its history, Caxias do Sul has been known as Campo dos Bugres (until 1877), Colônia de Caxias (1877–1884), and Santa Teresa de Caxias (1884–1890). The city was established where the Vacaria Plateau begins to break into numerous valleys, intersected by small waterways, resulting in a rugged topography in its southern part. The area was inhabited by indigenous Kaingang people since time immemorial, but they were forcibly displaced by so-called "bugreiros" to make way, in the late 19th century, for the Empire of Brazil's decision to colonize the region with a European population. Consequently, thousands of immigrants, primarily Italians from the Veneto region, but also including some Germans, French, Spaniards, and Poles, crossed the sea and ascended the Serra Gaúcha, exploring an area that was still almost entirely uncharted.