CARNAVAL 2008

PORTO ALEGRE began as a sprout of the Guaíba Lake. Its calm waters, inside the continent, provided a safe anchorage that the ocean could not offer. Great bodies of water have always inspired great carnavals.

The original small village was created when Portuguese groups from the Azores came in the 18th Century. Before this, Porto Alegre was the port of Viamão on the shore of Guaíba Lake. Its ancient name was Porto dos Casais (Couples' Port), a reference to the families that ran away from conflicts near the Uruguay border. Later it received other Europeans from Germany, Italy, Poland, Austria, France, Scotland and other countries. Also, Africans and Asians collaborated to create a vivid, exciting and joyful culture that loves to celebrate life as only Carnaval can. Before the Europeans, the region was inhabited by natives from Tupi-Guarani tradition. They left their footprints as a wealth of geographical names. For example, the Guaíba Lake received its name from the word Gua-y-be, which means "cove" or "bay". Today these souls return at Carnaval time in the presense of the Porto Alegre Carnaval Comanches and Guaianazes