Itu

Itu is a city in Sorocabana, São Paulo, Brazil. The short name of the city hides its historical relevance, founded in the Colonial period and considered to be the birthplace of Brazilian Republic. A state-recognized resort town, Itu's main attractions are its valuable historical heritage, both in the city center and rural area of the municipality, and its recurring theme of "oversized things", ranging from urban decorations, handcrafts and even food.

Understand
Itu was founded in 1610 by the bandeirante Domingos Fernandes. The settlement grew slowly until 1777, when Itu became a major trading outpost for sugarcane and slaves. In 1842, Itu gained city rights and it was the richest city of the São Paulo state.

In 1873, Itu hosted the first Republican Convention in Brazil, which would ultimately lead to the country becoming a Republic in 1889. After established, the Republican government helped bringing Italian immigrants to work in Itu's coffee farms, with coffee quickly becoming the basis of the city economy. After the Great Depression of 1929, Itu stagnated economically as most of the state of São Paulo. Industrialization started in 1950, and got a large boost in 1970 when the Castelo Branco motorway reached the city.

Nowadays Itu is a prosperous medium-sized city, highly attractive for industry, and is expecting to gain a large FoxConn factory by the end of 2013. Beginning from 1967, a local comedian called Francisco Flaviano de Almeida, nickname Simplício, gained national prominence by making jokes about the exaggerated size of all sorts of things in Itu. What started as a joke was seen as an opportunity for tourism, with oversized objects becoming a symbol and local souvenir of Itu.

By car
Itu is 1 hour from São Paulo, and 20 minutes from the International Airport of Viracopos, in Campinas.

Get around
The public transport of passengers in the city is reasonable and you can get anywhere in the city, there are many bus lines and varied schedules, travelers can consult the bus schedule website.

Do
The city has many kinds of farms with different attractions, like:
 * Feeding animals
 * Fishing
 * Horseback riding
 * Old-fashioned agriculture demonstrations

Buy

 * Antiques stores

Eat

 * Farm goodies