São Paulo is one of the largest cities in the world, but there are many others within the state! From the most famous – like the capital – to the most hidden, some of them have very different names! Do you know any? Here are 6 cities with unusual names in São Paulo!
Aluminum
Among the cities with unusual names in São Paulo is Alumínio.
The city is located in the Sorocaba metropolitan region. In addition, with a population of over 15,000, Alumínio got its name from the installation of the Companhia Brasileira de Alumínio (C.B.A) factory in 1955.
Areiópolis
The municipality of Areiópolis is 278 km from the capital and its name means ‘Land of Sand’. Before it was given this name in 1906, however, it was called Vila de Areia Branca because of the main river that passed through the region – the Areia Branca.
Ariranha
The name Ariranha, which was given to the municipality, is due to the fact that there was a stream nearby that was famous for having many Ariranhas – an indigenous name for otter-like animals.
Batatais
In the interior of São Paulo is the tourist resort of Batatais, which stands out for its history and cultural richness. Did you know that it is home to the Bom Jesus da Cana Verde Mother Church, which houses the largest collection of sacred works by painter Cândido Portinari in the world?
In addition, Praça Cônego Joaquim Alves is a famous attraction because of the green sculptures made using a technique known as topiary.
Descalvado
If you think the name of this town has something to do with “baldness”, you’re right! That’s because back in 1908, the old town of Descalvado was renamed Descalvado because of a hill that existed in the area, a point of reference for the first settlers.
Although this hill had a lot of vegetation around it, the top of it was “bald”, with no green at all. Hence the name!
Fartura
Like Descalvado, the name Fartura is no coincidence, since abundance was prevalent in the town.
Ever since it was inhabited by the Caiuá Indians, of the Tupi-Guarani family, the forests were made up of purple soil, with an abundance of game and fruit of all kinds. This, incidentally, was the reason why the existing mountain range was called “Fartura”, which gave the town its name.