Cunha is a municipality in the state of
São Paulo
São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...
in
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
. It is part of the
Metropolitan Region of Vale do Paraíba e Litoral Norte
Metropolitan may refer to:
* Metropolitan area, a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories
* Metropolitan borough, a form of local government district in England
* Metropolitan county, a typ ...
.
Assembleia Legislativa do Estado de São Paulo, Lei Complementar Nº 1.166
/ref> The population is 21,459 (2020 est.) in an area of 1,407.25 km².[Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística]
/ref> The first inhabitants arrived in the beginning of the 18th century. The municipality was founded in 1785, it was elevated to a city in 1858. Since 1975 Cunha has become an important center of stoneware ceramics
A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcelain ...
, with 5 Noborigama wood fired kilns and 16 ceramics studios in all. The city is visited for ceramics, a pleasant climate, natural parks and gastronomy
Gastronomy is the study of the relationship between food and culture, the art of preparing and serving rich or delicate and appetizing food, the cooking styles of particular regions, and the science of good eating. One who is well versed in gastr ...
. In recent years tourism to the region has grown, with visitors coming from around the region to enjoy the local state park (Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar), artisan shops such as Aracatu an
Oficina da Lã
as well as festivals like the annual lamb festival (Festival do Cordeiro). On October 25, 2015, Cunh
hosted the first edition
of the Brazilian portion of the Tour de France cycling competition.
Cunha is located in the road which connect Presidente Dutra Highway and Paraty
Paraty (or Parati, ) is a preserved Portuguese colonial (1500–1822) and Brazilian Imperial (1822–1889) municipality with a population of about 43,000. Indeed, the name "Paraty" originates from the local Guaianá Indians' Indigenous Tupi l ...
, been a good place to stopover. Parts of this road was part of Estrada Real
Estrada Real (, ''Royal Road'') was an epithet applied to the roads built and maintained by the Portuguese Crown both in Portugal itself and in the Portuguese overseas territories.
Presently it is used to designate a set of colonial-era to ...
, which was used to carry gold and precious gems from Minas Gerais to Paraty port to be exported, what explain the historical importance of the city.
Population history
Demographics
According to the 2000 IBGE
The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics ( pt, Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística; IBGE) is the agency responsible for official collection of statistical, geographic, cartographic, geodetic and environmental information ...
Census, the population was 23,090, of which 11,134 or 48.22% are urban and 11,936 or (51.69%) are rural. The average life expectancy was 71.69 years. The fertility rate was at 2.41.
Tourist attractions
Historical buildings
* Church Nossa Senhora da Conceição (Praça Cônego Siqueira s/n)
* Church Rosário (Praça do Rosário s/n)
* School Dr. Casemiro da Rocha (Rua Dr. Casemiro da Rocha, 205)
* Mercado Municipal (Rua Dom Lino, 118)
* Sobrado à Praça Coronel João Olímpio, 52 (Former Council City and City Hall)
Handcrafts
* Casa do Artesão (Rua Jose Arantes Filho, 27)
Falls
* Cachoeira da Barra
* Cachoeira do Barracão
* Cachoeira do Desterro
* Cachoeira do Jericó
* Cachoeira do Mato Limpo
* Cachoeira do Pimenta
* Cachoeira do Paraibuna
* Cachoeira do Paraitinga
Some of these falls which you can swim on them.
Overlook point
* Pedra da Macela (where it is possible to see all the sea between Ubatuba and Angra dos Reis)
References
External links
Official city hall webpage
citybrazil.com.br
Municipalities in São Paulo (state)
{{SaoPauloState-geo-stub