Book commemorating 150 years of Italian colonization in Brazil will be launched this Friday in SC

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This Friday, March 15th, the municipality of Nova Veneza will host the launch of the book “Santa Catarina, cradle of Italian colonization in Brazil”. The event held by Editora Expressão and the Department of Culture takes place from 2pm at the Municipal Theater of Nova Veneza, the most Italian city in the country. The work is sponsored by Bistek, through the Culture Incentive Program (PIC/FCC).

In addition to rescuing the trajectory of Italian colonization in Brazilian lands, narrating the reasons that led Italians to migrate to Brazil, and highlighting the challenges they faced in their new life, the bilingual book (Portuguese and Italian) seeks to correct a historical error.

The first immigrants from Italy arrived in 1836 in an area today belonging to the municipality of São João Batista, in Greater Florianópolis, where they founded the Nova Itália colony. However, the pioneering spirit of Italian colonization in Santa Catarina was regrettably disregarded by Federal Law No. 13,617, signed in 2018 by President Michel Temer, which granted the municipality of Santa Teresa, in Espírito Santo, the status of “cradle” of colonization and Italian culture in the national territory. For historian Paulo Kons, this is a major historical error, since Colônia Nova Itália was born 37 years and 11 months before Santa Teresa, which began in 1874.

The work also shows that, in addition to receiving the first Italians, Santa Catarina was also the state that received the largest immigration flow from Italy, with a significant presence in more than 200 municipalities, a much higher number compared to any other group of immigrants. It is estimated that between 30% and 40% of people from Santa Catarina are of Italian descent. This means a contingent that can vary between 2.3 million and 3 million people, in a universe of 7.6 million inhabitants.

“If Santa Catarina today enjoys an above-average level of development and quality of life, we cannot fail to remember and praise the courage of the pioneers to face and overcome challenges. These are the central objectives of this work that celebrates Italian colonization in Brazil”, highlights Rodrigo Coutinho, president of Editora Expressão.

Part of this story that transformed the culture of Santa Catarina can be seen beyond the pages of the book. Nova Veneza perpetuates Italian traditions and customs, which makes the city a true piece of Italy in Brazil. A title recognized even by the government of Venice, which donated a gondola, a typical Venetian vessel, to the municipality. The original piece, one of four official gondolas outside Italy, is located in the city’s central square and is a hit among residents and tourists.

On March 15th, the municipality celebrates another achievement: the launch of the book that tells the true facts and immortalizes the strength and importance of colonization, not only for Italians, but for the history of Santa Catarina.

The Publisher

Specialized in the production of historical and commemorative books, Editora Expressão has the country’s largest portfolio of cultural works that transform the trajectory of companies, entities, organizations and cities into a legacy.

The publisher was created in 1990 to publish Revista Expressão, which marked an era as an economic vehicle focused on the southern region of the country, and which will be resumed from March this year, with a new name, Revista Líderes de Expressão, to recognize the great business leaders in Santa Catarina.

Expressão was also a pioneer in the area of ​​the environment by creating the respected Expressão Ecology Award, certified by the Ministry of the Environment as the most important in the country in the business segment.