# With their feet bare and their hands on the ground - The Italian immigration's cultural heritage in the State of Santa Catarina

Ana Paula Cittadin; Liliane Janine Nizzola; Marco Antônio Minozzo Gabriel ; Virgínia Gomes de Luca; Renata Laís Bogo

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Santa Catarina is a Southern Brazilian State in which the diversity of the people who colonized it is notable. The Indigenous people, the Black people, the Portuguese, the Germans, the Italians, the Polish and many others have transformed our State into an effervescent mix of established cultures that adapted and transformed themselves, generating a new rich and diversified local panorama.
The Italians arrived in the State from the half of the 19th century onwards, initially placed on the Itajaí Valley region (The Nova Itália and Jaraguá colonies), and later in the south to form the Azambuja Colony – considered to be the hotspot of the Italian Immigration in Santa Catarina. After the immigratory waves, an internal migration wave occurred with the displacement of Italian descendants from Rio Grande do Sul towards the West and the Plateau of Santa Catarina.
Despite the Brazilian Government's promises of abundance, arable lands and fertile soil, the Italian Immigrants faced a diverging situation when arriving in Brazil: difficulties in cultivating traditional Italian crops, an impactful climatic difference and lack of availability of known food and inputs. The lack of roads between the colonies and pre-existing nuclei was also an issue. This way, adapting to the new world required much sweat. With their feet bare and their hands on the ground, they managed to achieve the sought-out independence and dominate the new indispensable knowledge to adapt to the Brazilian soil and climate.
Along with their know-how and constructive techniques, they brought their customs and culture, their way of preparing food, planting and harvesting, their religiosity and, along with that, a few grape seedlings. Thus, it heavily influenced the local traditions and habits, even though many adaptations occurred.
These posters demonstrate the Italian Immigrants' context in their nuclei within the State of Santa Catarina, characterize their dominant constructive techniques, know-how, culture, language, and customs and how their influence enriched the State's cultural panorama.