“A climatic health resort” is quite the title. The municipality of Miguel Pereira earned it. Let’s discover what makes Miguel Pereira special.
Miguel Pereira sits in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro. It’s nestled in a mountainous area. The city boasts clean water, rivers, and waterfalls. Miguel Pereira supplies potable water. It serves Baixada Fluminense. It even serves a large part of Rio de Janeiro.
Until the 1700s, crowned Indians or Puris lived here. Later, missionary agents arrived. The historical evolution of Miguel Pereira links to Vassouras and Paty do Alferes. It also links to the expansion of coffee culture. This happened in the Rio Paraíba do Sul valley.
European descendants first explored Miguel Pereira. They aimed to cross the Serra do Mar. They traveled to Minas Gerais. Drovers went up the Rio das Mortes. They headed towards Sacra Família do Tinguá. This area is now part of Engenheiro Paulo de Frontin. The drovers fixed a crossing point. It was in a small floodplain.
Initially, people called the place Barreiros or Tejuco. Troops of donkeys often got bogged down there. Later, it became Estiva. This name came from bamboo weaves. Drovers used these weaves. They placed them in the donkeys’ paths. This helped them cross the mud.
Some small delights were located in the region during the 18th century. These produced sugar. More often they produced foodstuffs. They consumed these goods in Rio de Janeiro. In 1770, the Fazenda da Piedade dea Cruz was founded. It became an important coffee producer. The lands of Miguel Pereira were subordinate to the Parish of Nossa Senhora da Conceição do Alferes. This is now Paty do Alferes.
Coffee plantations expanded in the early 19th century. Slave labor powered this expansion. This spurred progress and dynamism in the local economy. In 1820, the parish became the village of Nossa Senhora da Conceição do Alferes. But in 1837, the village headquarters moved to Vassouras. Paty do Ensign returned to parish status. In 1857, Vassouras became a city. It administered the current lands of Miguel Pereira.
Development focused on coffee farms. Urban development was limited. In 1898, the Capela do Santo Antônio was built. Settlers began building humble houses. An urban nucleus formed encouraging new residents to come.
The abolition of slavery in 1888 caused economic decline. The land was depleted. This was due to inadequate coffee plantation exploitation. Despite this, urban development picked up. This was at the start of the 20th century. The Estrada de Ferro Melhoramentos railway line helped. It started in Japeri. It reached the Paraíba do Sul River. The railway stimulated settlements. These housed railroad workers. Governador Portela is an example. The Federal Railroad Network owned part of the urban areas. They built a residential village for railway workers. This helped the district headquarters develop before Estiva. This district is now Miguel Pereira.
The urbanization of areas near the Estiva station happened in the 1930s. Doctor and professor Miguel Pereira promoted the region’s climate. He later gave the city his name. Summer tourism became the main driver of urban occupation. It attracted people from the Metropolitan Region of Rio de Janeiro. A highway was built in the 1950s. Its paving greatly boosted urban and tourist development.
In 1955, Miguel Pereira and Governador Portela split from Vassouras. They formed the municipality of Miguel Pereira. This happened under Law n° 2 626. The municipality was installed on July 26, 1956. In 1988, Conrado also joined Miguel Pereira.
Miguel Pereira has a unique geography. It’s shaped like a fish. It sits near the Tinguá Biological Reserve. The city is known for milk, dairy products, bay leaves, flowers, sweets, handicrafts, sausages, and cachaça. Its gentle hills shelter waterfalls and rivers. The area is part of the Atlantic Forest. It has diverse fauna and flora.
Lake Javary sits between the first and second districts. It’s formed by the damming of the Córrego do Saco. It’s a city postcard with a rustic bridge. The Rio Santana source is in the Tinguá Biological Reserve. It’s part of the Rio Guandu water system. This feeds Baixada Fluminense and Rio de Janeiro with drinking water. The reserve also has an old water treatment plant. It dates back to the time of the Empire.