Last modified: 2012-02-10 by ian macdonald
Keywords: minas gerais | cruzília |
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by Dirk Schönberger, 22 June 2010
Source:
http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cruz%C3%ADlia
An upright yellow cross on a green field.
Official website at
http://www.cruzilia.mg.gov.br/
Dirk Schönberger,
22 June 2010
The municipality of Cruzília (14,596 inhabitants in 2010; 524 sq. km) is
located in south-southwestern Minas Gerais, 380 km of Belo Horizonte.
Cruzília is the cradle of the Mangalarga Marchador horse breed, often
considered as the Brazilian national horse.
Cruzília was once known as
Encruzilhada ("Crossroad"), Cruz da Estrada ("Road Cross") and Cruziléia.
When the names of the Brazilian municipalities were revised, it was found
that Encruzilhada do Sul (Rio Grande do Sul) was older than Encruzilhada,
which was renamed Cruz de Estrada. The locals disagreed, claiming that
"their" Encruzilhada was already known in the 18th century. The name of the
place alludes to the crossing of two roads, linking Aiuruoca and Alagoa, and
Carrancas and the inner Minas Gerais, respectively. The oldest written
mention of Encruzilhada dates back to 1718-1720, when Francisco Martins,
Diogo Pires, Tomé de Souza e Silva, Pedro da Silva Góis and Diogo Moreira
paid Royal tax to the district of Baependi. Manoel de Sá, granted on 20
December 1726 a piece of land "in the area between Encruzilhada and Jeruoca",
is considered as the founder of Encruzilhada. The place appears, more or less
clearly located, on several subsequent parish registers; the Encruzilhada
Borough is listed on a register of Baependi dated 1800. The cemetery of
Encruzilhada, established in 1758, was abandoned for a while, which
demonstrates the decline of the place, and reestablished in 1822. The
emergence of the settlement started in 1838 while the district of São
Sebastião da Encruzilhada was created by State Law No. 1995 of 14 November
1873. Made a "vila" in 1837, the settlement was renamed Cruzília in 1944, a
name often, wrongly, interpreted as "The Way of the Cross". The municipality
of Cruzília was eventually established by State Law No. 336 of 27 December
1948 and inaugurated on 1 January 1949.
The flag of Cruzília is a banner
of the field of the municipal arms. The cross recalls the origin of the place
and of its name, a crossroad. Green represents abundance while yellow
represents strength. Green and yellow are the municipal colors.
http://www.cruzilia.mg.gov.br/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=45&Itemid=41 - Municipal website
Ivan Sache, 29 January 2012