Limeira is a city in the eastern part of the Brazilian state of São Paulo. With a population of approximately 310,783 people (2021 est.) and covering an area of 581 square kilometers, it sits at an elevation of 588 meters. The city is situated 154 kilometers from São Paulo, the capital of the state, and 1011 kilometers from Brasilia, the capital of Brazil. Limeira is conveniently accessible from São Paulo via two highways: Rodovia Anhanguera and Rodovia dos Bandeirantes.
In the past, Limeira was a significant center for coffee cultivation and played a strategic role in the industry. It also earned the nickname "Brazilian orange capital" due to its extensive production of citrus fruits. However, the primary agricultural focus in the city has now shifted to sugar cane cultivation. Limeira has gained international recognition as "Brazil's plated jewelry capital" due to its thriving industry in plated and semi-jewelry. More than 450 companies in Limeira are responsible for half of Brazil's exports in this sector.
Limeira is part of the São Paulo metropolitan complex, which is the largest in the southern hemisphere, with an estimated population of around 30 million people.
History
The history of Limeira dates back to the economic exploitation of the state of São Paulo, specifically in the mid-1820s, marking the foundation of the Limeira region. The city's name is steeped in legend, offering an intriguing explanation for its origins.
According to local folklore, pioneers would often seek respite at a guesthouse situated approximately 150 km from São Paulo, near the Tatuibi River. In the Tupi-Guarani language, "Tatuibi" translates to "small armadillo." This resting place became known as Rancho Morro Azul (Blue Hill Ranch) due to its proximity to a striking blue-hued hill that could be seen from a distance.
According to the legend, in 1781, a caravan traveling to the wilderness of Araraquara made a stop in Limeira and set up camp near a stream called Córrego do Bexiga, which is now the location of the Market Model. Among the members of the caravan was a Franciscan friar named João das Mercês, who carried a variety of lime orange known as "picuá de limas," believed to possess healing properties for fevers. However, the friar fell ill later that night and attributed his sickness to the limas, suspecting that they had been poisoned. He died during the night, and the following day, he was buried at the same site along with his untouched Picuá de Lima limes that no one dared to consume due to the perceived risk of poisoning. Legend has it that a lime tree sprouted from the seeds of those limes. Over the years, the place originally known as Rancho do Morro Azul (Blue Hill Ranch) came to be called Rancho de Limeira (the Ranch of the Lime Orange Tree).
Historical Background
The founding of Limeira took place on cleared land situated along the path known as the "Picadão de Cuiabá", an important historical route that played a crucial role in trade and the provision of resources to mines in Mato Grosso.
During the late 18th and early 19th centuries, landowners and farmers from "Cidade da Constituição" (Piracicaba), Itu, Porto Feliz, and Atibaia identified the region as having fertile land for agriculture. They acquired allotments from the provincial government between 1799 and 1820.
The village of Limeira began to develop with the installation of mills and the arrival of slaveholders and slaves. Squatters who had settled in the area were subsequently expelled. According to the 1822 census, the population of the Town of Piracicaba, including the regions of Morro Azul and Tatuibi (both part of Limeira), consisted of 951 free people and 546 slaves.
The road infrastructure connecting Limeira to the capital was inadequate, prompting Nicolau Pereira de Campos Vergueiro to lead a group of farmers, including Manuel Bento de Barros and José Ferraz de Campos, in requesting the construction of a new road. Their aim was to facilitate the transportation of goods from the mills in the region of Piracicaba and Limeira.
Upon the completion of the new road in 1826 and the subsequent formalization of the settlement project known as the Freguesia de Nossa Senhora das Dores do Tatuibi in 1830, the municipality of Limeira took shape. The bustling trade and flourishing development along this road were instrumental in laying the foundations of the city.