Fundão () is a Brazilian municipality in the state of

Espírito Santo Espírito Santo (; ) is a state in southeastern Brazil. Its capital is Vitória, and its largest city is Serra. With an extensive coastline, the state hosts some of the country's main ports, and its beaches are significant tourist attracti ...

. Part of the Greater Vitória metropolitan region, the Intermediate Region of Vitória, and the Immediate Region of Vitória, it is located north of the state

capital Capital and its variations may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** Capital region, a metropolitan region containing the capital ** List of national capitals * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Econom ...

, approximately away. Covering an area of , of which is urban, its population was recorded as 18,014 inhabitants by the

Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (; IBGE) is the agency responsible for official collection of statistical, geographic, cartographic, geodetic and environmental information in Brazil. IBGE performs a decennial national cen ...

(IBGE) in 2022. The average annual temperature in the municipal seat is , with the predominant vegetation being Atlantic Forest. With an urbanization rate of approximately 84%, the municipality had five healthcare facilities in 2009. Its

Human Development Index The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistical composite index of life expectancy, Education Index, education (mean years of schooling completed and expected years of schooling upon entering the education system), and per capita income i ...

(HDI) is 0.718, classified as high. Fundão was emancipated from the former municipality of Nova Almeida in 1923. Today, it comprises the city of Fundão and the districts of Praia Grande, Timbuí, and Irundi. The municipality’s name originates from the Fundão River, which flows through the seat. The primary economic activity is

coffee production Coffee production is the industrial process of converting the raw fruit of the coffee plant into finished coffee beans. The coffee cherry has the fruit or pulp removed leaving the seed or bean which is then dried. While all green coffee is pro ...

, though the industrial sector contributes the largest share to the municipal

Gross Domestic Product Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the total market value of all the final goods and services produced and rendered in a specific time period by a country or countries. GDP is often used to measure the economic performanc ...

(GDP). As part of the Caminho dos Imigrantes tourist route, Fundão is home to the Pico do Goiapaba-Açu, a granite peak rising where the Goiapaba-Açu Municipal Park is located. Praia Grande is a major tourist attraction in the region, drawing visitors from

Minas Gerais Minas Gerais () is one of the 27 federative units of Brazil, being the fourth largest state by area and the second largest in number of inhabitants with a population of 20,539,989 according to the 2022 Brazilian census, 2022 census. Located in ...

and other parts of Espírito Santo. Between December and January, the festivals of Saint Benedict and Saint Sebastian are held in Timbuí and Fundão, featuring performances by ''congo'' bands.

History

Origins

Fundão historically succeeds the former municipality of Nova Almeida. Nova Almeida was established on the banks of the Reis Magos River as the Aldeia dos Reis Magos on 6 January 1557, by

Jesuits The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

and the Temiminó tribe, led by

cacique A cacique, sometimes spelled as cazique (; ; feminine form: ), was a tribal chieftain of the Taíno people, who were the Indigenous inhabitants of the Bahamas, the Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles at the time of European cont ...

Maracaiaguaçu, father of

Arariboia Arariboia (old spelling: Ararigboya; – 1589) was the founder of the city of Niterói, in Brazil. Son of Temiminó chief Maracajá-guaçu, he was the leader of the Temiminó tribe, which inhabited the territory of the present Espírito San ...

. In 1757, Nova Almeida was elevated to a parish and town, and in 1760, to a ''

comarca A ''comarca'' (, , , ) is a traditional region or local administrative division found in Portugal, Spain, and some of their former colonies, like Brazil, Nicaragua, and Panama. The term is derived from the term ''marca'', meaning a "march, mark ...

''. Due to various factors, from the 1820s onward, Nova Almeida’s population, which exceeded 8,000 inhabitants, began to decline, leading to the town’s decay. The first Italian immigrants, the Agostini family, arrived in the current Fundão region in 1875 from

Tyrol Tyrol ( ; historically the Tyrole; ; ) is a historical region in the Alps of Northern Italy and western Austria. The area was historically the core of the County of Tyrol, part of the Holy Roman Empire, Austrian Empire and Austria-Hungary, f ...

, settling in Três Barras (now Irundi). In the following decades, dozens of other families arrived in Fundão directly from

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

or were relocated from other regions, particularly Santa Teresa. During the construction of the

Vitória-Minas Railway The Vitória-Minas Railway (Portuguese language, Portuguese: Estrada de Ferro Vitória a Minas — EFVM) is a Brazilian railway that connects the Metropolitan Region of Vitória, Espírito Santo, Vitória, in Espírito Santo, to Belo Horizonte, ...

in the interior of Nova Almeida, workers perished in the waters of the Fundão River, named for its depth before the end of the 19th century. In the same location, at the Taquaraçu Farm owned by pioneer Cândido Vieira, the village of Fundão emerged.

Administrative formation

Various sources provide conflicting and contradictory information regarding the municipality’s administrative formation. The seat was transferred to Timbuí in the early 20th century. The Fundão City Council’s page and a message from Nestor Gomes, president of Espírito Santo, to the state Legislative Congress on 3 May 1923, indicate that the municipality was renamed Timbuí or Timbuhy. However, the 1920 census does not reference this name. Unde
state law 1,383
of 5 July 1923, the "former municipality of Nova Almeida" had its seat transferred from Timbuí to Fundão, renaming the municipality Fundão and elevating the new seat to the status of a town. The law took effect on 1 January 1924,ESPÍRITO SANTO (state). ''Law 1,383/1923'': Transfers the municipal seat and elevates a settlement to the category of town. Espírito Santo Government: Vitória, 1923 when the Fundão City Council was inaugurated in the new seat. Contradictorily, sources such as the ''Enciclopédia dos Municípios Brasileiros'' and Fundão’s own coat of arms and flag cite 5 July 1933, rather than 1923, as the municipality’s creation date. By decree-law of 2 March 1938, Fundão was elevated to city status. Later that year, on 11 November, the district of Nova Almeida was transferred to the municipality of Serra. At the same time, the district of Três Barras (now Irundi) was transferred from Santa Teresa to Fundão. In 2002, municipal law 229 was enacted, proposing to rename Fundão to Balneário Reis Magos, contingent on a referendum approved by the Legislative Assembly of Espírito Santo.

Recent history

The four most-voted mayoral candidates in elections from 1996 to 2016 (Gilmar de Souza Borges, Maria Dulce Rudio Soares, Marcos Fernando Moraes, and Anderson Pedroni Gorza) faced legal proceedings at some point. In 2000, during his third term, Gilmar de Souza Borges faced allegations reported to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, leading to an inconclusive parliamentary inquiry commission (CPI). From 2008, the final year of her mayoral term, Maria Dulce Rudio Soares was accused in multiple public civil actions and complaints by the Espírito Santo Public Prosecutor’s Office (MPES), resulting in two convictions for administrative misconduct in 2012. Maria Dulce’s 2008 re-election candidacy was temporarily suspended, but validated through an appeal. In the subsequent election, she was defeated by Marcos Fernando Moraes ( PDT). On 27 May 2011, Operation Tsunami led to the arrest of twelve individuals accused of corruption in the city hall and city council, including secretaries, councilors, and businessmen. The Public Prosecutor’s Office requested the

Judiciary The judiciary (also known as the judicial system, judicature, judicial branch, judiciative branch, and court or judiciary system) is the system of courts that adjudicates legal disputes/disagreements and interprets, defends, and applies the law ...

to remove Mayor Marcos Fernando Moraes and Vice-Mayor Ademir Loureiro de Almeida ( PSC) for administrative misconduct. Accusing councilors demanded the revocation of the involved politicians’ mandates. On 30 May, councilors unanimously decided to establish a CPI to investigate evidence of irregularities in the provision of meal vouchers to city employees. On 1 June, Mayor Marcos Fernando Moraes dismissed the arrested secretaries. On 3 June, the Judiciary removed the mayor, vice-mayor, and several secretaries and municipal employees from their positions. The city council president, Councilor Anderson Pedroni Gorza ( PCdoB), assumed the role of acting mayor. Through an appeal, Marquinhos resumed the mayoral position on 3 August following a 29 July decision by the Espírito Santo Court of Justice. Due to allegations of irregularities in school transportation, the MPES filed a new request to remove the chief executive. On 5 August, the Espírito Santo Court of Justice (TJES) reinstated Ademir Loureiro de Almeida as vice-mayor, but the following week, the Judiciary upheld an MPES request to keep Ademir and other defendants removed from their positions. On 31 August, a processing commission’s report that would have investigated Marquinhos and removed him for 180 days was shelved. The next day (1 September), Marquinhos and Ademir were again removed from executive leadership by the Judiciary, accused in a school transportation scheme. City Council President Anderson Pedroni Gorza assumed the mayoralty on an interim basis again on 5 September. On 20 October, Judge Pedro Valls Feu Rosa, president of the TJES First Criminal Chamber, upheld Marquinhos’ precautionary removal through a preliminary injunction related to criminal proceedings concerning school transportation and the emergency hiring of the Ambiental company. Due to his failure to submit public account balance sheets to the city council during his tenure, Anderson Pedroni Gorza was removed from the interim mayoral position on 1 March 2012, following the establishment of a processing commission. Additionally, a CPI was opened against him to investigate potential irregularities in school construction projects. He was notified on 6 March. On 7 March, the acting city council president, Claydson Pimentel Rodrigues, assumed the role. On 12 June, former interim mayor Gorza had his councilor mandate revoked. On 15 June, a complaint regarding alleged irregularities in the hiring for the city council building renovation, which would have led to Claydson Pimentel Rodrigues’ removal, was dismissed. In the 7 October 2012, elections, the last interim mayors, Anderson Pedroni and Claydson, along with João Manoel ( DEM), candidates for mayor for the 2013–2016 term, were defeated with 37.43% of the votes by former mayor Maria Dulce, despite her first-instance conviction by the TJES for administrative misconduct due to overbilling. On 26 March 2015, the city council rejected the 2011 accounts of former mayors Marcos Fernando Moraes and Anderson Pedroni Gorza, rendering them ineligible for eight years. In the 2016 elections, Anderson Pedroni Gorza, now with the PSD, was the most-voted mayoral candidate in Fundão with 8,564 votes, 77% of the total. However, due to his candidacy’s disqualification, the interim mayor from 1 January 2017, until a new elected mayor’s inauguration was the city council president, Eleazar Ferreira Lopes (then with PCdoB). After winning the supplementary election on 1 October 2017, Pretinho Nunes (PDT) was sworn in as mayor on 27 October. In the 2020 municipal elections, after sixteen years out of office, former mayor Gilmar de Souza Borges was elected for a fourth term with 50.09% of the votes, against 47.45% for former interim mayor Eleazar Ferreira Lopes ( Podemos) and 2.46% for Carlos Magno Barbosa Fracalossi ( PSDB). In the 2024 municipal elections, former interim mayor Eleazar Ferreira Lopes was elected with 53.31% of the votes, against 38.84% for former interim mayor Anderson Pedroni and 7.85% for councilor Aélcio Peixoto ( PL).

Geography

The municipality’s area is , representing 0.6069% of Espírito Santo’s territory, 0.0302% of the Southeast Region of Brazil, and 0.0033% of Brazil’s total territory. Of this, is within the urban perimeter. Fundão is situated in the Intermediate Region of Vitória and the Immediate Region of Vitória. It borders

Ibiraçu Ibiraçu is the name of a municipality in the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil. It covers , and has a population of 12,591 with a population density of 66 inhabitants per square kilometer. 73% of the population resides in urban areas and 27% in ru ...

to the north, Aracruz to the northeast, the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...

to the east, Serra to the south, Santa Leopoldina to the southwest, and Santa Teresa to the west, and is from Vitória.

Topography and hydrography

Despite its relatively small area, Fundão extends from the coast to the Serra do Castelo, a prominent geographical feature in central Espírito Santo. Its terrain is highly undulating, with 61.53% of its area having a slope of less than 30%. The eastern region consists of lowlands and a nearly straight coastline, except for the Flecheira point, while the western region features elevations shaped by crystalline rocks. Located from the seat, on the border with Santa Teresa, is the Pico do Goiapaba-Açu, a

granite Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly coo ...

formation rising , offering views of the region between Greater Vitória and

Linhares Linhares is a Municipalities of Brazil, municipality in the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil, north of the state capital, Vitória, Brazil, Vitória. It is the largest municipality by area in the state, at 9,501.6 km2, and has a population o ...

. The municipality’s soil is predominantly dystrophic red-yellow

latosol Latosols, also known as tropical red earth, are soils found under tropical rainforests which have a relatively high content of iron and aluminium oxides. They are typically classified as oxisols (USDA soil taxonomy) or ferralsols (World Reference ...

and red-yellow podzolic soil, clayey, with medium to low fertility and a pH of 5.0. It has moderate depth, good drainage, and low susceptibility to

erosion Erosion is the action of surface processes (such as Surface runoff, water flow or wind) that removes soil, Rock (geology), rock, or dissolved material from one location on the Earth's crust#Crust, Earth's crust and then sediment transport, tran ...

. There are patches of organomineral soils, poorly developed, typical of flooded plains, acidic, with considerable but agriculturally limited mineral reserves due to excessive

soil moisture Soil moisture is the water content of the soil. It can be expressed in terms of volume or weight. Soil moisture measurement can be based on ''in situ'' probes (e.g., capacitance probes, neutron probes) or remote sensing methods. Water that enters ...

in ''gley'' and organic soils. There are also patches of sandy soil, deep, with high aluminum saturation, high acidity, leaching, low moisture retention, and very low fertility in their

quartz Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silica (silicon dioxide). The Atom, atoms are linked in a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen Tetrahedral molecular geometry, tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tet ...

ose sands and hydromorphic podzols.

Outcrops An outcrop or rocky outcrop is a visible exposure of bedrock or ancient superficial deposits on the surface of the Earth and other terrestrial planets. Features Outcrops do not cover the majority of the Earth's land surface because in most p ...

without vegetation also occur. Fundão’s coastline is ideal for

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...

and

diving Diving most often refers to: * Diving (sport), the sport of jumping into deep water * Underwater diving, human activity underwater for recreational or occupational purposes Diving or Dive may also refer to: Sports * Dive (American football), ...

due to natural

reef A reef is a ridge or shoal of rock, coral, or similar relatively stable material lying beneath the surface of a natural body of water. Many reefs result from natural, abiotic component, abiotic (non-living) processes such as deposition (geol ...

s. Praia Grande, one of the region’s most visited resorts during summer, has shallow, calm waters. At the mouth of the Reis Magos River, its

estuary An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime enviro ...

and a

mangrove A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows mainly in coastal saline water, saline or brackish water. Mangroves grow in an equatorial climate, typically along coastlines and tidal rivers. They have particular adaptations to take in extra oxygen a ...

area are located. Less frequented by tourists and with fine sands, Enseada das Garças features restinga vegetation, while Praia do Rio Preto, on the border with Aracruz, hosts Atlantic Forest reserves. The Reis Magos River originates in Santa Teresa, crosses Fundão’s seat as the Fundão River, and empties between Praia Grande and Nova Almeida, flowing from west to east. Its main tributaries are the Carneiro, Timbuí, and Piabas rivers. In the lower lands of the Reis Magos River Basin,

rice Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...

and

bean A bean is the seed of some plants in the legume family (Fabaceae) used as a vegetable for human consumption or animal feed. The seeds are often preserved through drying (a ''pulse''), but fresh beans are also sold. Dried beans are traditi ...

cultivation is practiced, alongside

coffee Coffee is a beverage brewed from roasted, ground coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content, but decaffeinated coffee is also commercially a ...

in other areas. Waterway transport is limited to small boats due to

siltation Siltation is water pollution caused by particulate terrestrial clastic material, with a particle size dominated by silt or clay. It refers both to the increased concentration of suspended sediments and to the increased accumulation (temporary o ...

Climate

Fundão’s

climate Climate is the long-term weather pattern in a region, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteoro ...

is tropical wet and dry (type Aw according to the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

), with reduced rainfall in

winter Winter is the coldest and darkest season of the year in temperate and polar climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Dif ...

and an average annual temperature of , characterized by dry, mild winters and rainy

summer Summer or summertime is the hottest and brightest of the four temperate seasons, occurring after spring and before autumn. At or centred on the summer solstice, daylight hours are the longest and darkness hours are the shortest, with day ...

s with high temperatures. The warmest month, February, has an average temperature of , with an average high of and a low of . The coldest month, July, averages , with highs of and lows of . The average annual precipitation is , with the driest month receiving . The rainiest month averages . During the rainy season,

flood A flood is an overflow of water (list of non-water floods, or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are of significant con ...

s and

landslide Landslides, also known as landslips, rockslips or rockslides, are several forms of mass wasting that may include a wide range of ground movements, such as rockfalls, mudflows, shallow or deep-seated slope failures and debris flows. Landslides ...

s are common in some areas. The highest recorded temperature was , and the lowest was .

Ecology and environment

Much of Fundão’s Atlantic Forest has been replaced by agricultural and livestock areas. Common in the coastal plain are mangroves along the Reis Magos River and restinga along the coast. Native riverbank vegetation has been substituted with pastures and residential areas, causing erosion. The municipality’s fauna is typical of the Atlantic Forest, including

spider Spiders (order (biology), order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight limbs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude spider silk, silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and ran ...

crab Crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura (meaning "short tailed" in Greek language, Greek), which typically have a very short projecting tail-like abdomen#Arthropoda, abdomen, usually hidden entirely under the Thorax (arthropo ...

butterflies Butterflies are winged insects from the lepidopteran superfamily Papilionoidea, characterized by large, often brightly coloured wings that often fold together when at rest, and a conspicuous, fluttering flight. The oldest butterfly fossi ...

, and

dragonflies A dragonfly is a flying insect belonging to the infraorder Anisoptera below the order Odonata. About 3,000 extant species of dragonflies are known. Most are tropical, with fewer species in temperate regions. Loss of wetland habitat threate ...

among

invertebrates Invertebrates are animals that neither develop nor retain a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''spine'' or ''backbone''), which evolved from the notochord. It is a paraphyletic grouping including all animals excluding the chordate subphylum ...

;

snake Snakes are elongated limbless reptiles of the suborder Serpentes (). Cladistically squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales much like other members of the group. Many species of snakes have s ...

tortoise Tortoises ( ) are reptiles of the family Testudinidae of the order Testudines (Latin for "tortoise"). Like other turtles, tortoises have a shell to protect from predation and other threats. The shell in tortoises is generally hard, and like o ...

s, and

lizard Lizard is the common name used for all Squamata, squamate reptiles other than snakes (and to a lesser extent amphisbaenians), encompassing over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most Island#Oceanic isla ...

s among

reptiles Reptiles, as commonly defined, are a group of tetrapods with an ectothermic metabolism and Amniotic egg, amniotic development. Living traditional reptiles comprise four Order (biology), orders: Testudines, Crocodilia, Squamata, and Rhynchocepha ...

;

frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely semiaquatic group of short-bodied, tailless amphibian vertebrates composing the order (biology), order Anura (coming from the Ancient Greek , literally 'without tail'). Frog species with rough ski ...

s and

toad Toad (also known as a hoptoad) is a common name for certain frogs, especially of the family Bufonidae, that are characterized by dry, leathery skin, short legs, and large bumps covering the parotoid glands. In popular culture (folk taxonomy ...

s among

amphibians Amphibians are ectothermic, anamniote, anamniotic, tetrapod, four-limbed vertebrate animals that constitute the class (biology), class Amphibia. In its broadest sense, it is a paraphyletic group encompassing all Tetrapod, tetrapods, but excl ...

;

parakeet A parakeet is any one of many small- to medium-sized species of parrot, in multiple genera, that generally has long tail feathers. Etymology and naming The name ''parakeet'' is derived from the French word ''perroquet'', which is reflect ...

pigeon Columbidae is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with small heads, relatively short necks and slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. ...

thrushes The thrushes are a passerine bird family, Turdidae, with a worldwide distribution. The family was once much larger before biologists reclassified the former subfamily Saxicolinae, which includes the chats and European robins, as Old World flycat ...

tanager The tanagers (singular ) comprise the bird family (biology), family Thraupidae, in the order Passeriformes. The family has a Neotropical distribution and is the second-largest family of birds. It represents about 4% of all avian species and 12 ...

s, and

toucan Toucans (, ) are Neotropical birds in the family Ramphastidae. They are most closely related to the Semnornis, Toucan barbets. They are brightly marked and have large, often colorful Beak, bills. The family includes five genus, genera and over ...

s among

birds Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...

; and river otters,

capybara The capybara or greater capybara (''Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris'') is the largest living rodent, native to South America. It is a member of the genus '' Hydrochoerus''. The only other extant member is the lesser capybara (''Hydrochoerus isthmi ...

otter Otters are carnivorous mammals in the subfamily Lutrinae. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic, or marine. Lutrinae is a branch of the Mustelidae family, which includes weasels, badgers, mink, and wolverines, among ...

s, and

marmoset The marmosets (), also known as zaris or sagoin, are twenty-two New World monkey species of the genera '' Callithrix'', '' Cebuella'', '' Callibella'', and ''Mico''. All four genera are part of the biological family Callitrichidae. The term ...

s among

mammals A mammal () is a vertebrate animal of the class Mammalia (). Mammals are characterised by the presence of milk-producing mammary glands for feeding their young, a broad neocortex region of the brain, fur or hair, and three middle e ...

. To preserve Fundão’s environment, the Goiapaba-Açu Municipal Park was established in 1991, and in 1994, the Goiapaba-Açu Environmental Protection Area (APA) was created, spanning Fundão and Santa Teresa around the municipal park, managed by the Espírito Santo Institute of Environment and Water Resources (Iema). The APA hosts 133 bird species, including the robust woodpecker (''Campephilus robustus'') and the bare-throated bellbird (''Procnias nudicollis''). Notable plant species in the region include bromeliads, orchids,

cinnamon Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus ''Cinnamomum''. Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic condiment and flavouring additive in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savoury dishes, biscuits, b ...

, courbaril, sucupira, and pau-pereira. Amphibians are also prominent in Goiapaba-Açu’s fauna. The Augusto Ruschi Forest Garden, the first model of forest gardens proposed by Espírito Santo at Eco-92, is located next to the Josel de Oliveira Sports Gymnasium. Spanning 4.5 hectares of reforested pastures, it includes a nursery for seedlings of

cedar Cedar may refer to: Trees and plants *''Cedrus'', common English name cedar, an Old-World genus of coniferous trees in the plant family Pinaceae * Cedar (plant), a list of trees and plants known as cedar Places United States * Cedar, Arizona ...

cherry A cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus ''Prunus'', and is a fleshy drupe (stone fruit). Commercial cherries are obtained from cultivars of several species, such as the sweet '' Prunus avium'' and the sour '' Prunus cerasus''. The na ...

, jequitibá, sucupira, peroba, landscaping species, and fruit trees such as

avocado The avocado, alligator pear or avocado pear (''Persea americana'') is an evergreen tree in the laurel family (Lauraceae). It is native to Americas, the Americas and was first domesticated in Mesoamerica more than 5,000 years ago. It was priz ...

, blackberry, coffee, yellow mombin,

cashew Cashew is the common name of a tropical evergreen tree ''Anacardium occidentale'', in the family Anacardiaceae. It is native to South America and is the source of the cashew nut and the cashew apple, an accessory fruit. The tree can grow as t ...

jackfruit The jackfruit or ''nangka'' (''Artocarpus heterophyllus'') is a species of tree in the Common fig, fig, mulberry, and breadfruit family (Moraceae). The jackfruit is the largest tree fruit, reaching as much as in weight, in length, and in d ...

, rose apple, Malabar plum,

mango A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree '' Mangifera indica''. It originated from the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in South and Southeast As ...

, and tangerine.

Demographics

In 2022, the municipality’s population was recorded by the

(IBGE) as 18,014 inhabitants, with a population density of . According to the 2010 census, 8,489 inhabitants were men and 8,536 were women, with 14,378 living in the

urban area An urban area is a human settlement with a high population density and an infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas originate through urbanization, and researchers categorize them as cities, towns, conurbations or suburbs. In urbani ...

and 2,647 in the

rural area In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry are typically desc ...

. Fundão’s Municipal

(HDI-M) is considered high by the

United Nations Development Programme The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human development. The UNDP emphasizes on developing local capacity towar ...

(UNDP). In 2010, it was 0.718. For education, the index is 0.623; for longevity, 0.839; and for income, 0.708. The city’s HDI-M is below the national average (0.727) according to the UNDP. The per capita

gross domestic product Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the total market value of all the final goods and services produced and rendered in a specific time period by a country or countries. GDP is often used to measure the economic performanc ...

(GDP) in 2018 was 22,597.47

reais The Brazilian real ( pl. '; sign: R$; code: BRL) is the official currency of Brazil. It is subdivided into 100 centavos. The Central Bank of Brazil is the central bank and the issuing authority. The real replaced the cruzeiro real in 1994. ...

. The

Gini coefficient In economics, the Gini coefficient ( ), also known as the Gini index or Gini ratio, is a measure of statistical dispersion intended to represent the income distribution, income inequality, the wealth distribution, wealth inequality, or the ...

, which measures

social inequality Social inequality occurs when resources within a society are distributed unevenly, often as a result of inequitable allocation practices that create distinct unequal patterns based on socially defined categories of people. Differences in acce ...

, is 0.49, where 1.00 is the worst and 0.00 is the best. The poverty incidence, as measured by the IBGE, is 32.52%, with a lower limit of 27.31%, an upper limit of 37.74%, and a subjective poverty incidence of 28.41%. In 2010, Fundão’s population consisted of 9,016 mixed-race individuals (52.96%), 6,488 whites (38.11%), 1,426 blacks (8.38%), 75 Asians (0.44%), and 20 indigenous people (0.12%).

Religion

While developed within a predominantly Catholic social framework, Fundão today is home to various Protestant denominations. The city is home to diverse Protestant or reformed faiths, with the

Assemblies of God The World Assemblies of God Fellowship (WAGF), commonly known as the Assemblies of God (AG), is a global cooperative body or communion of over 170 Pentecostal denominations that was established on August 15, 1989. The WAGF was created to provi ...

being the largest Christian denomination in the municipality. According to the 2010 census conducted by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, the population of Fundão is composed of:

Catholics The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

(61.69%),

Evangelicals Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide, interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of the Christian g ...

(28.03%), people with no religion (6.49%), Spiritists (1.22%), and 0.52% are divided among other religions.

Politics

Under the 1988 Constitution, municipal administration is carried out by the

executive branch The executive branch is the part of government which executes or enforces the law. Function The scope of executive power varies greatly depending on the political context in which it emerges, and it can change over time in a given country. In ...

and the

legislative branch A legislature (, ) is a deliberative assembly with the authority, legal authority to make laws for a Polity, political entity such as a Sovereign state, country, nation or city on behalf of the people therein. They are often contrasted with th ...

. The first representative of the executive branch and mayor of the municipality was Hermínio Jorge de Castro, appointed shortly after the municipality’s emancipation. In recent years, the position was temporarily held from 1 January – 26 October 2017, by Eleazar Ferreira Lopes (then affiliated with PCdoB), who was on leave from the presidency of the City Council. Following a supplementary mayoral election on 1 October 2017, the new mayor, Pretinho Nunes (PDT), was sworn in on 27 October of the same year. Since 1 January 2021, the municipality has been governed by Gilmar de Souza Borges, who has previously served as mayor on three other occasions. The legislative branch consists of the municipal chamber, composed of eleven councilors elected for four-year terms (in accordance with Article 29 of the Constitution) and is structured as follows: two seats for

Cidadania Cidadania () is a Brazilian political party. It was originally founded as the Popular Socialist Party (, PPS) by members of the former Brazilian Communist Party (PCB), as a centre-left social democratic and democratic socialist party. Despite ...

; two for Podemos; two for the

Brazilian Socialist Party The Brazilian Socialist Party (, PSB) is a political party in Brazil. It was founded in 1947, before being abolished by the military regime in 1965 and re-organised in 1989 after the re-democratisation of Brazil. It elected six Governors in 201 ...

(PSB); two for the

Republicans Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

; one for

Patriota Patriota (, ), abbreviated PATRI and formerly known as the National Ecological Party (, abbreviated PEN), was a right-wing to far-right political party in Brazil. It was registered in the Superior Electoral Court in the summer of 2012. The last p ...

; one for the Democratic Labour Party (PDT); and one for the

Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties Form ...

(PSD). The council is responsible for drafting and voting on fundamental laws for the administration and the executive branch, particularly the participatory budget (Budget Guidelines Law). The municipality of Fundão is governed by an organic law. It serves as the seat of the Fundão judicial district. According to the Espírito Santo Regional Electoral Court (TRE-ES), the municipality had 14,125 registered voters in May 2017.

Subdivisions

Fundão is divided into three districts in addition to the municipal seat: Praia Grande, Timbuí, and Irundi. According to the 2010 census, the seat had 8,744 inhabitants; Praia Grande, 5,349; Timbuí, 2,400; and Irundi, 532. The Jones dos Santos Neves Institute suggests there are nine neighborhoods in the seat, six in Praia Grande, and one in Timbuí, totaling 16 across the municipality.

Districts of Fundão.

Economy

The

(GDP) of Fundão is distinguished by its industrial sector. According to 2018 data from the

(IBGE), the municipality recorded a GDP of R$475.925 million. The per capita GDP stood at R$22,597.47.

Primary sector

Agriculture and livestock form the sector with the smallest contribution to Fundão’s economy. Out of the city’s total GDP, R$28.954 million comes from the gross value added by agriculture and livestock. Despite its lower GDP contribution, Fundão’s economy is rooted in agriculture, particularly

. According to 2015 IBGE data, the municipality maintained a herd of 11,617 cattle, 639 pigs, 126 sheep, 305 horses, 13 goats, 7,400 poultry (including 3,700 hens), and 3,050 quails. In 2015, the city produced 3.468 million liters of milk from 2,141 cows, alongside 56,000 dozen chicken eggs, 46,000 dozen quail eggs, and 90,000 kilograms of honey. Temporary crops primarily include cassava (1,200 tons), sugarcane (1,080 tons), and watermelon (36 tons). Permanent crops mainly consist of coffee (4,571 tons), bananas (1,905 tons), and tangerines (374 tons).

According to the 2017 Agricultural Census, of the 453 rural establishments, 306 focused on permanent crops, 22 on temporary crops, 102 on livestock and other animal husbandry, 3 on forestry (planted forests), and 2 on aquaculture. The municipality’s livestock sector is mixed (for both meat and dairy), with predominance in the coastal region. Columbia Tecnologia

Secondary sector

R$148.277 million of the municipal GDP comes from the gross value added by industry (secondary sector), currently the largest contributor to Fundão’s GDP. Since 2004, this figure has grown due to

royalties A royalty payment is a payment made by one party to another that owns a particular asset, for the right to ongoing use of that asset. Royalties are typically agreed upon as a percentage of gross or net revenues derived from the use of an asset or ...

from

petroleum Petroleum, also known as crude oil or simply oil, is a naturally occurring, yellowish-black liquid chemical mixture found in geological formations, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons. The term ''petroleum'' refers both to naturally occurring un ...

Tertiary sector

R$261.537 million of the municipal GDP is generated by services (tertiary sector). According to the federal government’s Business Map, as of August 2020, the city had 2,453 companies. The 2018 Annual Social Information Report (RAIS) indicated that the municipality employed 3,041 people, with 1,388 in small businesses, 889 in medium-sized businesses, none in large companies, and 764 in public administration. According to the Espírito Santo Institute for Educational and Industrial Development (Ideies), as of 2021, the average monthly salary in the municipality was R$1,760.58.

Urban infrastructure

Healthcare

In 2012, the municipality had five healthcare facilities, all municipally operated, offering six beds for

inpatient care Inpatient care is the care of patients whose condition requires admission to a hospital. Progress in modern medicine and the advent of comprehensive out-patient clinics ensure that patients are only admitted to a hospital when they are extremel ...

. The city also provides outpatient services, including basic medical specialties and dental care, through the Unified Health System (SUS). Fundão has Primary Healthcare Units and a Diagnostic and Therapy Support Service Unit. As As of December 2012, Fundão had 50 doctors, six dentists, four physiotherapists, three speech therapists, four pharmacists, three psychologists, five nursing assistants, ten nurses, and 30 nursing technicians, totaling 115 healthcare professionals. The municipality is part of the Vitória Regional Health District. In 2010, there were 5,278 women of childbearing age (10 to 49 years). In 2008, 220 live births were recorded, with 18.6% of mothers under 20 years old. Without hospitals, the city relies on the Dr. César Agostini Mixed Healthcare Unit, managed by the municipality.

Education

In 2012, the municipality recorded approximately 3,542 enrollments, 239 teachers, and 16 public schools, with no federal or private schools. According to 2010 census data, the

illiteracy Literacy is the ability to read and write, while illiteracy refers to an inability to read and write. Some researchers suggest that the study of "literacy" as a concept can be divided into two periods: the period before 1950, when literacy was ...

rate among individuals over 15 years was 9.5%; for those aged 15 to 24, 1.2%; for those aged 25 to 59, 8.0%; and for those over 60, 27.1%.

Public safety

As in many growing Brazilian municipalities, crime poses a challenge in Fundão. In 2012, there were four firearm homicides, yielding a firearm homicide rate of 22.7 per 100,000 inhabitants. While such figures may be less reliable in smaller cities, Fundão neighbors Serra, which, with over 300,000 residents, recorded a 2010 homicide rate of 99.9 per 100,000, the third highest in Brazil for cities of its size. Moreover, the Greater Vitória metropolitan area, including Fundão, ranked as the 15th most violent region globally in 2014 for areas with over 300,000 inhabitants. In April 2013, Fundão’s police force comprised six military police officers, with two assigned to each urbanized district, a number deemed insufficient by the president of the Timbuí Residents’ Association.

The traffic accident mortality rate, which stood at 46.4 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2006, rose to 141.0 in 2010 and fell to 57.7 in 2011. From 2001 to 2010, the average was 67.8. A 2012 Sangari Institute study ranked Fundão fourth in Brazil and first in Espírito Santo for traffic deaths per capita in 2010 among municipalities with over 15,000 residents. With a population of 17,025, 24 people died on Fundão’s roads, resulting in a rate of 141.0 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. On federal highways, a hilly section of BR-101 in the rural area near Fundão’s seat was among the two deadliest in Espírito Santo, with eight deaths in 2011. In 2012, the BR-101 stretch between Fundão and Ibiraçu ranked 12th for accidents on the highway, with 112 incidents. In the seat area, hazardous curves, narrow bridges, and roadside fruit stalls along BR-101 worsen traffic conditions in Espírito Santo.

Services and communications

Water supply and sewage collection across the city are managed by the Espírito Santo Sanitation Company (Cesan). Electricity distribution in Fundão is handled by EDP Escelsa, serving multiple municipalities in Espírito Santo. In 2005, there were 5,872 consumers, with a total consumption of 16,841,891

kilowatt-hours A kilowatt-hour ( unit symbol: kW⋅h or kW h; commonly written as kWh) is a non-SI unit of energy equal to 3.6 megajoules (MJ) in SI units, which is the energy delivered by one kilowatt of power for one hour. Kilowatt-hours are a commo ...

of electricity. Dial-up and

broadband In telecommunications, broadband or high speed is the wide-bandwidth (signal processing), bandwidth data transmission that exploits signals at a wide spread of frequencies or several different simultaneous frequencies, and is used in fast Inter ...

(ADSL) internet services are offered by various free and paid internet service providers. Mobile phone services are provided by multiple operators. Fundão’s area code ( DDD) is 27, and its postal code ( CEP) is 29185-000. Fundão is home to Rádio Mais 98.5 FM.

Transportation

Fundão is served by the

, via the Fundão Station, inaugurated on 15 May 1905, with daily passenger and cargo trains to

Belo Horizonte Belo Horizonte is the List of largest cities in Brazil, sixth-largest city in Brazil, with a population of around 2.3 million, and the third largest metropolitan area, containing a population of 6 million. It is the List of cities in Sout ...

and Vitória. The railway is vital for the city and its residents, offering a safer and more affordable alternative to road transport. In the Timbuí district, the Timbuí Station operated from 29 December 1904, until at least the 1960s.

By road, Fundão is accessible via

BR-101 The BR-101 (also called ''Translitorânea'' (transcoastal), officially named ''Rodovia Governador Mário Covas''.Aracruz, Espírito Santo, Santa Cruz and Nova Almeida; ES-124, connecting Praia Grande to Santa Rosa (Aracruz); ES-261, linking the seat to Santa Teresa and Santa Rosa; and ES-264, connecting Timbuí to Santa Leopoldina and Nova Almeida.

The BR-101 section through Fundão becomes problematic during high-traffic periods, such as holidays, due to its intersection and traffic lights in the city center. These conditions can cause congestion stretching up to 10 kilometers, disrupting local traffic.

Intermunicipal public transport is provided by the Transcol system, with lines 854 and 886 connecting Praia Grande and Direção to the Jacaraípe Terminal, and line 888 linking Timbuí to the Laranjeiras Terminal. Selective transport is also available via line 1805, connecting Praia Grande to Vitória’s bus terminal. In 2012, a law established municipal public transport lines between Fundão and Timbuí, and between Timbuí and Praia Grande via Fundão. Fundão is served by the Fundão Bus Station, offering routes to Vitória, Santa Teresa, northern and northwestern Espírito Santo, eastern Minas Gerais, and southern Bahia, and the Praia Grande Bus Station, with routes to Vitória and Rio de Janeiro.

The municipal vehicle fleet in 2012 totaled 6,601 vehicles, including 3,290 cars, 362 trucks, 113 tractor-trailers, 672 pickup trucks, 279 vans, 55 minibuses, 1,291 motorcycles, 215 scooters, 43 buses, 34 wheeled tractors, 21 utility vehicles, and 226 other types of vehicles.

Culture

Among the recreational venues in Fundão are the Expedicionários Square, located in Downtown, and various clubs. The Fundão Horse Club organizes horseback rides; the Tropical Campestre Club hosts sports and recreational facilities; and the Maracaiá Club, owned by the Comercial Futebol Clube, serves as a downtown nightclub operating on weekend nights with a capacity for 200 people. Additionally,

forró The term forró () refers to a musical genre, a rhythm, a dance and the event itself where forró music is played and danced. Forró is an important part of the culture of the Northeastern Brazil, Northeastern Region of Brazil. It encompasses ...

dances are held on weekends at Cabana do Matoso in the Encruzo community.

Arts

Fundão has architectural structures dating back to the

coffee cycle In Economic history of Brazil, Brazil's economic history, the coffee cycle () was a period in which coffee was the main export product of the Economy of Brazil, Brazilian economy. It began in the mid-19th century and ended in 1930. The coffee cyc ...

. In the seat, the former Agostini family residence, now the Fundão Culture House, was designated a cultural heritage site of Espírito Santo in 1986. The two-story building, constructed in 1882 on the Taquaraçu farm by Cândido Vieira, was purchased at auction by the Agostini family in the early 20th century and used by the Angelo Agostini e Cia. coffee export company, managed by merchant and banking representative Hipólito Agostini. The building was connected by telephone to the Agostini farm in the rural area. At the time, the ground floor served as a commercial space, while the upper floor was a residence. In 1925, it was the home of physician and politician César Agostini. Until the 1970s, the family used the ground floor as an office. Later, the building was acquired by the municipal government. It was restored in 1985 and 1986 to house a craft shop, museum, and cultural event space, with its exterior paved with stones and a new external staircase built. Also part of the municipality’s civil architecture is the former Augusto Agostini farm, now the Pé de Serra ranch in Três Barras, which houses a late 19th-century mansion used for coffee trading before becoming a residence. From this location, one can view and access the Goiapaba-Açu peak. Located in front of the Parish Church, the Chrysantho de Jesus Rocha Staircase, built in a neo-Baroque style resembling a chalice with a host, features gardens and a small grotto with saint statues. The staircase is used to raise the masts of Saint Benedict and Saint Sebastian by ''congo'' bands. It is named in honor of the father of Mariana’s archbishop and former president of the Episcopal Conference of Brazil, the Fundão native Geraldo Lyrio Rocha. In Timbuí, the Braga house, dating to the early 1900s, remains well-preserved and operates a commercial establishment. Examples of local religious architecture include: * Our Lady of Victory Chapel: Built in 1878 in Irundi, with a view of Goiapaba-Açu. It has its own cemetery with about ten tombstones of former residents. * Bom Jesus da Lapa Church: From the early 20th century, located in Irundi. Built on a rock, facing a former community. * Our Lady of Penha Church: In Timbuí’s central square. * São José Parish Church: Atop the Chrysantho de Jesus Rocha Staircase, significantly altered from its original structure. Most visited during the São Benedito festival. * Santo Antônio Church: In the seat. Tapioca no Encruzo

Local music and dance are represented by ''congo capixaba'' bands, which perform on festive days. Fundão’s bands include the São Benedito and São Sebastião Children’s Congo Band in Timbuí; the São Benedito and São Sebastião Congo Band in Campestre I; the Konfogo Cultural Congo Band in Downtown; and the São Sebastião and São Benedito Congo Band of Irundi and Piabas in Três Barras. Additionally, in 2013,

gospel music Gospel music is a traditional genre of Christian music and a cornerstone of Christian media. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music vary according to culture and social context. Gospel music is compo ...

was officially recognized as a cultural manifestation of the municipality. Italian colonization contributed to local cuisine with

polenta Polenta (, ) is an Italian cuisine, Italian dish of boiled cornmeal that was historically made from other grains. It may be allowed to cool and solidify into a loaf that can be baked, fried or Grilling, grilled. The variety of cereal used is ...

, jabuticaba wine, and milk liqueur. Moqueca is also consumed due to indigenous influence. The municipality is also known for homemade biscuits, crystallized sweets,

tapioca Tapioca (; ) is a starch extracted from the tubers of the cassava plant (''Manihot esculenta,'' also known as manioc), a species native to the North Region, Brazil, North and Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast regions of Brazil, but which has ...

(in the rural Encruzo community), cheeses, and

requeijão Requeijão is a milk-derived product, produced in Portugal and Brazil. It is a loose, ricotta-like cheese used to make cheese spreads. It can be a good substitute to mild, unsalty ricotta. This variety is sometimes sold in the markets wrapped in ...

. Fundão’s crafts include items made from southern cattail fibers, cane, wood,

liana A liana is a long-Plant stem, stemmed Woody plant, woody vine that is rooted in the soil at ground level and uses trees, as well as other means of vertical support, to climb up to the Canopy (biology), canopy in search of direct sunlight. T ...

, coconut, and banana tree, as well as shells, fabric, porcelain, plaster, canvas, and glass, used for fabric and porcelain paintings, embroidery, jewelry, baskets, sieves, brooms, and decorated glassware. The municipality has a deactivated cinema.

Tourism

Fundão’s tourism is unique in Espírito Santo for offering both beach and mountain attractions. Accessible via the ES-010 highway, the coastline features natural reefs ideal for diving and fishing, compact sands, restinga, and chestnut trees. The main attraction is Praia Grande, also known as Joaripe, a five-kilometer beach with murky waters, frequented by visitors from Minas Gerais and other Espírito Santo cities. The Reis Magos River estuary is located there. Praia Grande offers lodging and dining options with guesthouses, hotels, camping, rental properties, restaurants, bars, and kiosks. Due to restricted beachfront urbanization, its natural features are preserved. During Carnival, this beach attracts as many as 100,000 people who come to enjoy the music. Its calm waters are ideal for water sports and boat tours. The Rio Preto Beach, on the border with Aracruz, and Enseada das Garças are less frequented, with fine sands. Rio Preto Beach, 100 meters from ES-010, is well-preserved with Atlantic Forest reserves and high waves suitable for

surfing Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suita ...

. Enseada das Garças, between Flecheira and Fortaleza points and 500 meters from ES-010, has abundant seaweed and a rocky, muddy bottom. It features bars, restaurants, and camping but suffers from disorganized occupation, compromising its original characteristics. It is more visited in summer by tourists. Just 50 meters from ES-010, the small Porto da Lama cove has coarse sands and, due to mangrove landfills, non-native vegetation, but also calm waters and restinga. It is less frequented, located between two reef points, with a 250-meter stretch and a sandy, muddy bottom, serving as an anchorage for fishing boats, hence its name. Its waters are clear in summer and murky in winter. In the municipality’s interior, the Goiapaba-Açu Peak, accessible via ES-261, houses a native plant nursery and a micropropagation laboratory for orchids, bromeliads, and fruit plants. The park features trails, natural lookouts, waterfalls, springs, valleys, and an events center for visitors. From its summit, several regional cities are visible. It is also possible to enjoy adventure tourism in the park, in the form of hang gliding, paragliding, and enduro. Five kilometers from the seat via ES-261 toward Praia Grande, the Fundão or Jarrão Waterfall attracts up to 200 visitors daily on weekends, especially in summer. Located in a rocky section of the Fundão River on Nilsinho’s property, it features several one-meter-high falls and a dam 150 meters away. It has a navigable 10-meter-wide pool and a 15-meter-wide, 500-meter-long rapid. The dam contains introduced fish species such as peacock bass, armored catfish, carp, tilapia, and Malaysian prawns, which reproduce among cattails in March, when fishing is prohibited. Due to the city's sewage system, the waterfall is not suitable for swimming. The site includes a bar, fishing facilities, a campground, and an old working distillery. In Timbuí, the dam of the former hydroelectric plant, three kilometers from BR-101, has a one-meter waterfall and small rapids among rocks, suitable for bathing and fishing. In Duas Bocas, four kilometers from the seat, the Salto Waterfall, formed by an old hydroelectric dam with a one-meter drop, has murky, cold waters and coarse sand banks, favorable for bathing and leisure activities. Other waterfalls exist in the municipality, such as on the Piabas River. Fundão is known for roadside commerce. Since the late 1960s, stalls along BR-101 sell fruits, particularly ponkans, a municipal symbol. Also on BR-101, since the 1960s, Dona Jandyra’s sweets are sold, including cocadas, jams, liqueurs (made from araçaúna, fig, banana,

genipap ''Genipa americana'' () is a species of trees in the family Rubiaceae. It is native to the tropical forests of North and South America, as well as the Caribbean. Description ''Genipa americana'' trees are up to 30 m tall and up to 60 cm d ...

, mallow, and rose or carnation petals), pickles, cakes, candies, and crystallized sweets, made from

gilo Gilo () is an Israeli settlement in south-western East Jerusalem, with a population of 30,000, mostly Jewish inhabitants. Although it is located within the Jerusalem Municipality, it is widely considered a settlement, because as one of the five ...

, papaya, guava, fig, tomato, carrot, beetroot, jackfruit, orange, and genipap. Since March 1994, the Lorena dairy, located on ES-261 toward Santa Teresa, has been artisanally producing cheeses such as

cottage cheese Cottage cheese is a curdled milk product with a mild flavour and a creamy, heterogeneous, soupy texture, made from skimmed milk. An essential step in the manufacturing process distinguishing cottage cheese from other fresh cheeses is the additio ...

Minas cheese Minas cheese ( or , , literally "cheese from Minas") is a type of cheese that has been traditionally produced in the Brazilian States of Brazil, state of Minas Gerais. It comes in three varieties, named (fresh), (half-aged) and (aged). A fo ...

mozzarella Mozzarella is a Types of cheese#Semi-soft cheese, semi-soft non-aged cheese prepared using the ('stretched-curd') method with origins from southern Italy. It is prepared with cow's milk or buffalo milk, taking the following names: * or mozz ...

provolone Provolone (, ) is an Italian semi-hard cheese made from cow's milk. It is an aged ''pasta filata'' ('stretched-curd') cheese originating in the Campania region, near Vesuvius, where it is still produced in pear, sausage, or cone shapes long. P ...

, palm heart cheese, and cabacinha cheese. Annual events include Catholic festivals in neighborhoods and rural communities, June festivals, the Political Emancipation Festival in July, New Year’s Eve, and Carnival in Praia Grande, and the São Benedito and São Sebastião festivals in Timbuí (December to January) and Fundão (20 January), featuring ''congo'' bands and processions. These festivals attract about 2,000 people each. From 1993 to 1997, the Tangerine Festival was held in May. Antares vs Revolution 3-3-2012 3

Sports

The municipality was home to the

American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...

teams Fundão Spartans, runner-up in the 2010 state Muqueca Bowl championship, and Antares American Football (now Cabritos American Football), runner-up in the 2012 Espírito Santo American Football Championship and participant in the 2012 Touchdown Tournament. In soccer, the Comercial Futebol Clube maintains a training school for children. One of its alumni is Luan Garcia, a defender who played for

Vasco da Gama Vasco da Gama ( , ; – 24 December 1524), was a Portuguese explorer and nobleman who was the Portuguese discovery of the sea route to India, first European to reach India by sea. Da Gama's first voyage (1497–1499) was the first to link ...

and the

Brazil national under-23 football team The Brazil national under-23 football team () represents Brazil in international football competitions during Olympic Games and Pan American Games. The selection is limited to players under the age of 23, except three overage players. The team i ...

, and who won a gold medal at the

2016 Summer Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad () and officially branded as Rio 2016, were an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with preliminary events i ...

. Fundão is home to the Josel de Oliveira Sports Gymnasium, near the forest nursery, with a capacity of 5,000 seats, and, in the Oseias neighborhood, the Manoel de Almeida Matos Stadium, owned by the Comercial Futebol Clube.

Holidays

In Fundão,

Good Friday Good Friday, also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday, or Friday of the Passion of the Lord, is a solemn Christian holy day commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary (Golgotha). It is observed during ...

and St. Joseph's Day (19 March) are municipal holidays, with the Executive Branch able to decree up to twelve optional holidays per year, as per municipal law No. 1,266/2021. According to federal law No. 9,093 12 September 1995, municipalities may have up to four municipal holidays, including Good Friday. Previous municipal holidays included

Saint Sebastian Sebastian (; ) was an early Christianity, Christian saint and martyr. According to traditional belief, he was killed during the Diocletianic Persecution of Christians. He was initially tied to a post or tree and shot with arrows, though this d ...

Day on 20 January; Fundão’s Political Emancipation Day on 5 July, Our Lady of Penha Day, Corpus Christi, and the day of President

Eurico Gaspar Dutra Eurico Gaspar Dutra (; 18 May 1883 – 11 June 1974) was a Brazilian military leader and politician who served as the 16th president of Brazil from 1946 to 1951. He was the first president of the Fourth Brazilian Republic, which followed the V ...

’s visit to Fundão on 11 September. The Emancipation Day, since law 536 10 March 1982, was also called Saint Anthony Zaccaria and Municipality Creation Day, and Saint Sebastian Day, since law 544 7 March 2008, was called Saint Sebastian and Saint Benedict Day, mandatorily celebrated on the first Monday after 20 January.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fundao, Espirito Santo Populated coastal places in Espírito Santo Municipalities in Espírito Santo

History

Origins

Administrative formation

Recent history

Geography

Topography and hydrography

Climate

Ecology and environment

Demographics

Religion

Politics

Subdivisions

Economy

Primary sector

Secondary sector

Tertiary sector

Urban infrastructure

Healthcare

Education

Public safety

Services and communications

Transportation

Culture

Arts

Tourism

Sports

Holidays

See also

References