Porto Alegre, Brazil
In the company of our guides Petula and Rog, here’s a super itinerary in Porto Alegre, a city to be discovered on foot on sunny days.
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The overpopulation of the Azores and the consolidation of the Spanish colonies in South America made the Portuguese government encourage Azorean couples to go to Rio Grande do Sul, in Brazil. It was the year 1752 when the first group of Azoreans arrived there and set themselves up in what was then known as Porto de Dorneles. It acquired the moniker Porto dos Casais (Port of Couples) because it became the place where emigrant couples, who had come to populate other regions in the state, could get support. After much to-ing and fro-ing and changes of name, it eventually adopted the name Porto Alegre, in 1822.
The Azorean couples became part of history, but the joy of new discoveries that they brought with them continues to inspire the lifestyle, laden with historical charm, of those who live there. To some degree, Porto Alegre is still a port for new couples of discoverers, modern descendants of those starting a new life. UP spent a day with Petula and Rog and discovered a young city, full of sun, parks, wide cobbled paths, gastronomic nooks and cultural spaces that no visitor should miss.
“Porto Alegre is sunshine and best appreciated on foot”. So says Petula Silveira, a 28-year-old jewellery and shoe designer who is married to the film director Rogerio Souza. Both of them have lived and studied in other cities in the world. Both commute to Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo every week, but they have always chosen to return to Porto Alegre. Petula and Rog live in the Moinhos de Vento neighbourhood, one of the most charming in the city, and the perfect starting point for a walk on a sunny Saturday.
by Têtê Pacheco
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