| Santo Amaro da Imperatriz - History |
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Santo Amaro da Imperatriz |
Santo Amaro da Imperatriz was colonized after the discovery of the thermal
fountains by hunters, in 1813. The region was formerly inhabited by aggressive indians, then, the Imperial Government sent military troops to
the place, in an attempt of calm them down, and soon after, in 1818, ordered the construction of a hospital there, since the water had medicinal
properties.
Besides the hospital, it was also constructed a building with rooms and bathtubs
for visitors that arrived to the settlement in search of cure for their illnesses. In 1845, Dom Pedro II and Dona Teresa Cristina visited the
resort and, in honor to the Empress, the village that was called “Caldas do Cubatão” adopted the name of “Santo Amaro da Imperatriz”. And so it
remained until the decade of 1940, when there was an attempt of changing the name of the city again. Instead of “Santo Amaro da Imperatriz”, the
place changed its name to Cambirela, because of Morro Cambirela (Cambirela Hill). Obviously, the population didn’t get any content with the new
name, which was used just for four years, being subsequently changed by the former name.
Located 30km away from Florianópolis, Santo Amaro da Imperatriz started to grow
only in the end of the 18th century, with the arrival of portuguese families and European immigrants, who dedicated themselves to agriculture
and the construction of mills.
The economy of Santo Amaro da Imperatriz is based in the agriculture, with the
cultivation of potatoes, corn and tomatoes, and in tourism, annually attracting thousands of tourists to “Estância Termal Caldas da Imperatriz”.
In the city there are also companies that bottle and sell mineral water. The fountains were canalized and supply water to the surroundings of
the city too. |
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