Prudentópolis

History

In 1882, the project of the construction of roads in central Paraná attracted the first families to the region. Firmo Mendes de Queiroz, descended from bandeirantes, settled there, living on agriculture. He built a chapel, giving birth to a place called "Vilinha" (Little Village) by its inhabitants. In 1894, the government decided to colonize the region of São João do Capanema. Cândido Ferreira de Abreu, the owner of this colony, decided to change its name to Prudentópolis, in honor to Brazilian president Prudente de Morais. In 1895, to settle this region, 1,500 Ukrainian families, about 8,000 people, came to Prudentópolis. This immigration continued until the 1920s. Most of the immigrants were from the Ternopil Oblast of Ukraine, and today the Ukrainian city Ternopil is sister city of Prudentópolis.