Campos do Jordão was built by the Portuguese and developed by Northeasterners. Those who go to Campos do Jordão find European-inspired aesthetics, natural landscapes and a mild climate that made the city known as "Brazilian Switzerland". But the highest city in the country has a much more Brazilian and less known trajectory: founded by the Portuguese, it was developed with the contribution of northeastern families who helped shape one of the country's main winter tourist destinations. ?The city estimates that it will receive 6 million visitors this year. During the winter season alone, there are approximately 2.2 million tourists traveling through the city. Campos do Jordão was founded in 1874 by the Portuguese Matheus da Costa Pinto who acquired the land for a cattle farm. The occupation of the city at the top of Serra da Mantiqueira gained pace in the 1920s, initially with another vocation. According to historian Edmundo Rocha Campos, Campos do Jordão began to attract tuberculosis patients at a time when there were no effective medications against the disease. Especially between the 1940s and 1960s, the cold climate, mountain air, food and rest were considered allies in treatment. The expert explains that tourism began to develop during this period, driven by visits from family and friends of hospitalized patients. Enchanted by the local landscapes, many started to promote the city, helping to attract new visitors. With the decline of sanatorium activity, tourism was consolidated as the city's main economic vocation. ???The first records of a village in Campos do Jordão are associated with the order of the Portuguese Court, which opened the way where the city is today to transport gold from the mines of Itajubá (MG) to Pindamonhangaba (SP). Although the road was later closed, Gaspar Vaz remained in the region, selling the land to the Brigadeiro, also Portuguese, Manuel Rodrigues Jordão - after whom the city was named -, until the land was acquired by Matheus. (see the city's population cycles in the infographic below) ????Why Brazilian Switzerland? Capivari Center in Campos do Jordão Renan William/Vanguarda Repórter Professor of Architecture and Urbanism at the State University of Minas Gerais and former professor at the Federal Institute of São Paulo (IFSP) in Campos do Jordão, Agnes Yuri Uehara Bezerra highlights a change when the municipality entered the tourism cycle: inspiration from the architecture of countries with similar climates, such as Switzerland, to adopt a construction system. But she says the city's style could be considered "eclectic." "'What happened over another century, and which persists to this day, was a true mix of patterns, almost always brought from outside by the strong influence of foreign migration in the post-Second World War period," he said. According to her, examples of this mix include Swiss-style chalets, such as the Hotel Toriba, or adapted from Tudor architecture, of English origin. '"The Polish architect who designed the Boa Vista Palace was inspired precisely by this style to build the building. Already at the city portal, we find an imitation of the half-timbered construction technique, of the Norman style, known as false half-timbering", he explained. ? half-timbering is a construction technique that leaves the structure apparent, forming geometric designs on the facade. Between the spaces created by the beams, materials such as bricks or stones are used to fill the walls. Palácio da Boa Vista is the winter residence of the governor of SP and is also a museum open to the public Disclosure/Government of SP Infographic: characteristics and migratory flows in Campos do Jordão, SP Arte/g1 Portuguese from the mountains The development of Campos do Jordão gained momentum with the construction of the Campos do Jordão Railway, inaugurated in 1914. According to Edmundo Rocha Campos, the work was led by the Portuguese Sebastião de Oliveira Damas, who brought workers from Castelo de Paiva, in Portugal, to help with the construction of the railway line. One of these families is that of businessman Nelson Gonçalves, who started arriving in the city during the sanatorium era "My uncle came to heal, he ended up settling here. My mother and father came to help and set up their own shop," he said. He states that there are many Portuguese descendants in Campos and that, to this day, they maintain a strong union. "For many years, the community organized itself to help Portuguese families in the city. It was a present colony." Like other descendants of Portuguese people in the city, Nelson's family began to preserve Portuguese traditions through gastronomy. In addition to cod, the family restaurant serves typical dishes such as alheira and lamb. The businessman of Portuguese descent, Nelson Gonçalves, replicates the Portuguese culture Personal archive ?German cuisine But the city's cuisine also has a great German influence. The Germans arrived in Campos do Jordão in a different moment from the Portuguese. According to historian Edmundo Rocha Campos, some of them came to the city after the arrival of the German ship Windhuk in Brazil, in 1939. Initially held in concentration camps, upon arriving on Brazilian soil, some went to Campos do Jordão to work mainly in the hotel industry. They also helped to consolidate the city's gastronomy and tourist infrastructure. (photo below), in addition to contributions to the gastronomic culture associated with the Jordanian winter. Apfelstrudel - traditional apple puff in Germany and Austria Pixabay ??Northeasterners build the city With the growth of Campos do Jordão from the 1960s onwards, workers from the Northeast began arriving in the city to work in construction. According to historian Edmundo Rocha Campos, many came from Bahia and participated in the construction.