
Last modified: 2020-07-14 by ian macdonald
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 image by Dirk Schönberger, 2 
February 2012
 image by Dirk Schönberger, 2 
February 2012
Source:
http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cruzeiro_do_Sul_(Rio_Grande_do_Sul)
The municipality of Cruzeiro do Sul (12,320 inhabitants in 2010; 15,520 ha) 
is located 130 km of Porto Alegre.
Cruzeiro do Sul was established, as 
São Gabriel de Estrela, by Laura Centeno de Azambuja (1800-1887), whose family 
owned the São Gabriel fazenda. As a reward for the safe return of her three sons 
from the Paraguayan War (1864-1870), Laura offered a plot for the erection of a 
chapel dedicated to Archangel St. Gabriel. Authorized by permission granted on 
24 July 1883 by Sebastião Dias Laranjeira, Bishop of São Pedro de Rio Grande do 
Sul, the chapel was built at Laura's expenses. Laura Centeno de Azambuja passed 
away on 27 June 1887 and was interred in "her" chapel.
On 12 October 1892, 
the Azambuja family offered to the municipality of Lajeado plots to establish a 
square and public buildings. On 30 October 1892, Bishop Claudio José Ponce de 
Leo allowed the establishment of a cemetery on a plot offered by Primórdio 
Centeno Xavier de Azambuja. The new town was eventually designed by the land 
surveyor Giulherme H. Rochett.
São Gabriel de Estrela was elevated to the 
6th district of Lajeado by Municipal Act No. 6 issued on 12 August 1922. To 
prevent confusion with the town of São Gabriel, the place was renamed to 
Cruzeiro do Sul (Southern Cross) by Decree No. 7,842 issued on 30 June 1939. 
Arbitrarily renamed to Setembrina, Cruzeiro do Sul reinstated its original name 
by Municipal Law No. 99 promulgated on 16 April 1949.
The municipality of 
Cruzeiro do Sul was established by State Law No. 4,615 promulgated on 22 
November 1963, and inaugurated on 22 March 1964.
https://www.cruzeiro.rs.gov.br/
Municipal website
Ivan Sache, 14 July 2020
An ascending diagonal triband, blue-white-blue flag with the municipal arms in the centre.
Dirk Schönberger, 
1 February 2012
The municipal coat of arms features the Southern Cross (Cruzeiro do Sul) and 
the Morro House, built for Lieutenant-Colonel Primórdio Centeno Xavier de 
Azambuja, the son of Laura and João Xavier Azambuja.
In 1872, returning from 
the Paraguayan War, Azambuja built an estate on river Taquari, close to a fig 
tree indicating the road to Mariante. One year later, the estate was damaged by 
a big flood of the river, which prompted Azambuja to move to the heights of the 
town. It took some five years to build the new houses.
Azambuja died on 15 
May 1898, leaving in the house his widow Leocádia Villanova de Azambuja and 
their nine children. After 1914, the house was left uninhabited, attracting 
vandals in search of the treasures of the Azambuja family. Rumors spread that 
the house was indeed haunted by werewolves and ghosts, most probably to repel 
intruders.
Now owned by the municipality of Cruzeiro do Sul, the Morro House 
was incorporated to the municipal historical heritage by Municipal Decree No. 
417-02 issued on 27 December 2006.
https://www.cruzeiro.rs.gov.br/casa-do-morro/ 
Municipal website
Ivan Sache, 14 July 2020