"Lá éramos servos, aqui somos senhores": a organização dos imigrantes italianos na ex-colônia Silveira Martins : 1877-1914

• Ano de defesa: 2007
• Autor(a) principal: Vendrame, Maíra Ines
• Orientador(a): Constantino, Núncia Maria Santoro
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Tipo de acesso: Acesso aberto
• Idioma: por
• Instituição de defesa: Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul; Porto Alegre
• Palavras-chave em Português: SILVEIRA MARTINS (RS) - HISTÓRIA; COLONIZAÇÃO ITALIANA - RIO GRANDE DO SUL; IMIGRANTES ITALIANOS - RIO GRANDE DO SUL
• Link de acesso: http://hdl.handle.net/10923/3800

From 1877 on, the Italian immigrants arrived in the central region of Rio Grande do Sul. They wanted to structure communities following their wishes and hopes. Silveira Martins Colony was then formed. The construction of a church and the presence of a resident priest were also considered by its inhabitants as objectives to be achieved. As symbols of intense faith, the church, the priest and the Christian rites were elements that would organize the community routine and influence the colonizer’s lives. Moreover, these symbols could also guide the society to development. According to the immigrants’ perception, progress could be only reached with the autonomy of the society, including its administration, avoiding external influences. So the community members, mainly tradesmen, faced priests, local and provincial authorities and also some Brazilian Law. In this research, the reviewed documents – letters, official letters, petitions, notes, manuscripts and legal proceedings, between 1877 and 1914 – allowed to delineate the establishment of Silveira Martins Colony in its initial period of formation. It was evidenced that the immigrants had an active position in this complex process, and were also responsive when their interests were threatened. The order was turned into contestation movements, and these acts reflected the aim of creating a society with liberty and independence.