The town of São Paulo de Piratininga was founded on January 25, 1554, by the indigenous chief Tibiriçá and the Spanish Jesuit priests José de Anchieta and Manuel de Nóbrega. On that date the feast of the conversion of Saint Paul the Apostle is commemorated.
The priests established a mission with the aim of converting the native Tupi-Guaraníes to the Catholic religion. The first church in São Paulo was built in 1616 and was located on the site where the Sé Cathedral stands today.
São Paulo officially became a city in the year 1711.
In the 19th century, it enjoyed growing economic prosperity generated mainly by coffee exports, shipped abroad through the port of the neighboring city of Santos.
After the year 1881, waves of immigrants from Italy and other European countries, as well as from Japan and Middle Eastern countries (mainly Syria and Lebanon) immigrated to the State of São Paulo due to the boom in coffee production. African slavery was coming to an end due to pressure from the British Empire, which wanted to introduce its machinery and industrialized products in Brazil.
By the beginning of the 20th century, the coffee boom had passed, among other reasons due to a drastic fall in the international price of the grain. Local entrepreneurs then began to invest in the industrial development of São Paulo, attracting new groups of immigrants to the rapidly growing city.
In the 21st century, however, due to competition with other Brazilian cities that offer fiscal advantages for the construction of "in situ" manufacturing plants, the main activities of São Paulo have gradually moved away from its industrial profile and have moved towards the services sector.
The city is home to a large number of local and international banks, law firms, multinational companies and consumer service companies. All major Brazilian companies have offices in São Paulo and its Stock Exchange, Bovespa, is currently one of the largest in the world, as well as serving as the main index in South America.
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