Traveling through the interior of Brazil, especially in the South and Southeast, often means going through the history of Italian immigration and seeing up close the legacy of the largest international migratory movement in the country's history.
This is the case of Caxias do Sul, an important city in Rio Grande do Sul with half a million inhabitants and whose trajectory is closely linked to the courage of Italians who crossed the Atlantic Ocean in search of a better life in Brazil.
The first Italian settlers settled in what would become Caxias do Sul in 1875, and today the municipality offers ideal tourist routes for those who want to know more about this past.
One of these itineraries, called Immigrant Road, includes two stone and mud houses built by the Italian Henry Bonnet in 1877 and 1879 to house foreigners who arrived in the region at the end of the 19th century. Currently, Casas Bonnet are maintained by the Tonietto family, who seek to rescue the culture and traditions of their ancestors in a space with italian colonial food, winery, carriage ride and two museums.
“The municipality is rich in history and Italian traditions and other cultures, in addition to having charming landscapes and places that the people of Caxias themselves are often unaware of”, says Celestino Oscar Loro, president of the Chamber of Industry, Commerce and Services of Caxias do Sul (CIC Caxias).
O Immigrant Road Route It also passes by the centuries-old Igreja de Pedra Sacro Cuore di Gesú e Maria, built in 1892 as a promise made by an Italian who had lost his family in the war. Nearby, the Gruta Nossa Senhora de Lourdes da Terceira Légua holds masses in a natural area under a waterfall and offers one of the best destinations in Brazil for rappelling and climbing.
Already Trentino Valley Tourist Guide, between Caxias do Sul and neighboring Farroupilha, passes through numerous wineries run by families of Italian origin, such as Casa Perini, Casa Onzi, Cappelletti, Don Giusepp, Santini and D'Motter, who helped create one of the most important wine-growing areas in the world country.
Monuments and museums highlight the influence of Italian immigrants in Caxias do Sul
Still in the Trentino Valley, the Primo Slomp Grape and Wine Museum tells the story of fruit cultivation in the region, as well as the history of Italian immigrants and their customs. The past of Caxias do Sul is also exalted in National Immigrant Monumentand, a bronze work inaugurated by sculptor Antonio Caringi in 1954 and which depicts a foreign couple and a baby in arms, paying homage to all the ethnicities that contributed to Brazil's progress.
Already Immigrant Epic Monument It consists of 15 panels that recount the journey of foreigners from their departure from Italy, through the crossing of the Atlantic, to their settlement in Rio Grande do Sul. Made by Jesiel Bellini and André Gnatta, the set was inaugurated in 2012 and shows the customs, religiosity, work and family life of immigrants.
In addition to monuments and historical sites, the city hosts the National Grape Festival every year, a symbol of the Serra Gaúcha and which also celebrates the culture of Italian immigrants.
To help promote this cultural and gastronomic aspect of the city, CIC Caxias created in 2021 the program “Caxias Rota Sabor and Adventure“, aimed at promoting experience tourism, the sector that grew the most in the municipality after the pandemic. The project brings together breweries, wineries, restaurants, bakeries, places of culture and nature, as well as accommodation.
“Encouraging experience tourism allows the population to discover many attractions. This movement made entrepreneurs organize themselves and improve the physical structure and management to promote good experiences for their audience”, says Loro. (Ansa Brasil)
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