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Bento Gonçalves, Rio Grande do Sul

Bento Gonçalves
Municipality
Municipality of Bento Gonçalves
Skyline of Bento Gonçalves
Flag of Bento Gonçalves
Flag
Coat of arms of Bento Gonçalves
Coat of arms
Nickname(s): Capital of the wine
Location in Rio Grande do Sul
Location in Rio Grande do Sul
Bento Gonçalves is located in Brazil
Bento Gonçalves
Bento Gonçalves
Location in Brazil
Coordinates: 29°10′15″S 51°31′08″W / 29.17083°S 51.51889°W / -29.17083; -51.51889Coordinates: 29°10′15″S 51°31′08″W / 29.17083°S 51.51889°W / -29.17083; -51.51889
Country  Brazil
Region South
State Bandeira do Rio Grande do Sul.svg Rio Grande do Sul
Founded 11 October 1890
Government
 • Mayor Guilherme Pasin (PP) (2013-2016)
Area
 • Total 382.513 km2 (147.689 sq mi)
  IBGE/2002
Elevation 690 m (2,260 ft)
Population (2016 Census IBGE/2010)
 • Total 114,203
 • Density 280.62/km2 (726.8/sq mi)
Time zone BRT (UTC-3)
 • Summer (DST) BRST (UTC-2)
Postal Code 95700-000
Area code(s) +55 54
Website bentogoncalves.rs.gov.br

Bento Gonçalves (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈbẽtu ɡõˈsawvis]) is a municipality located in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Created in 1875, it is one of the centers of the Italian immigration in Brazil. It is also known as the 'wine capital of Brazil' due to its vineyards and wine production. In 2016, its estimated population was 114,203 inhabitants.

Ernesto Geisel, President of Brazil from 1974-1979 (under the military dictatorship), was born in Bento Gonçalves in 1907.

Before 1870, the area where the city is located was known as Cruzinha. It was inhabited, as the rest of the region, by Indians of the "jê" tribe.

In 1875, the Brazilian government created, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, four settlements to receive Italian immigrants. In the Cruzinha area, a settlement was created called Dona Isabel (named after the Brazilian princess Isabel de Bragança). "Dona Isabel" received the first 25 families of Italian settlers in that same year. They mostly came from the region of Trento.

During the next few decades, the region was settled by immigrants coming mostly from the Italian regions of Veneto, Trentino, and Lombardia.

In 1890, Dona Isabel was elevated to the category of city, changing its name to Bento Gonçalves (named after the military leader of the Ragamuffin War).

The Italian immigrants mostly worked in grape and wine production.

During the first few decades of the 20th century, the city continued to receive immigrants. Besides the Italians, there were large groups of Polish, German, Swedish, French, and Spanish immigrants.

At that time, there were already some functioning wine factories and the furniture and metallurgic industry was just starting to take off.

The railways arrived at the city in 1919, helping to connect it with the capital of the state, Porto Alegre, and facilitating the transport of the city's economic production. There were regular passenger trains running until 1976; however, today the railways are used mostly to transport goods. There is also a tourism railroad line that connects the city with Garibaldi and Carlos Barbosa using an old steam locomotive.


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