From slash and burn to winemaking: the historical trajectory of Italian colonos in the uplands of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

De Majo, Claudio und Moretto, Samira Peruchi (2021): From slash and burn to winemaking: the historical trajectory of Italian colonos in the uplands of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. In: Modern Italy, Vol. 26, No. 2, PII S1353294421000235: pp. 141-158

Abstract

This contribution discusses the early years of Italian immigration in the uplands of southern Brazil, known as the Serra Gaucha (1875-1915). Tracing back early agrarian practices and deforestation techniques of the early settlement years, we investigate the consolidation of this human group in the southernmost Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. In addition, analysing the development of both wood logging and winemaking industries in the region, the essay frames the identitarian construction of this social group, looking at the intersection between cultural traditions from the homeland, socioeconomic drives and local environmental factors. This analysis builds upon primary sources from both Brazilian and Italian institutions, local newspapers, and scholarly publications on environmental history, as well as Brazilian and Italian migration history.

• Item Type: Journal article
• Research Centers: Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society (RCC)
• Subjects: 500 Science > 500 Science
• ISSN: 1353-2944
• Language: English