Lages

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lages, formerly Lagens, is a Brazilian town located in the central part of the state of Santa Catarina, in the region known in Portuguese as "Planalto Serrano".

It has 165,000 inhabitants and is located in the mountain region of the state. It is the main city of this region, and has as main borders the towns of Otacílio Costa, São Joaquim, and Correia Pinto. The main course of urban water is Carahá River.

Lages hosts an annual festival called Festa do Pinhão, that is famous throughout the country.

[edit] History

In the beginning of the 17th century, the arrival of the first Europeans established the town. The growing of the Campos de Lajens was due to the opening roads to reach the fields of the state Rio Grande do Sul. The people of São Paulo and Minas Gerais were attracted to this region due to the cattle breeding business with the gauchos.

Very primitive documents mention Lajens as a stop for horse riders that were traveling from Sorocaba or São Paulo, transporting mules, horses and cattle. Correia Pinto, the founder, was a horse rider, and ran cattle groups from Lajens to São Paulo.

On November 22, 1766, Lagens was promoted to state from village. In 1820 it detached itself from São Paulo to be part of the state of Santa Catarina. On May 25, 1860, it was elevated to city status. In 1960 the city's name was changed to Lages with a "g" wrongly inserted.

Economically, the city is known for its strong cattle breeding and wood processing factories.