Granja Viana


Granja Viana is an upscale district in the city of Cotia, São Paulo, Brazil. Officially, the district is located in the east side of the city, but some portions of southern Carapicuíba, northern Embu das Artes and eastern Jandira are often referred to as Granja Viana as well. It can be accessed via the Raposo Tavares Highway.
In Cotia itself, it occupies an area of 50 km2, with a population of 35,000, and it possesses 70% of the city's industry, including automotive parts, food & beverage, metallurgy, graphic, informatics, serigraphy, chemicals, pottery, horticulture, woods, plastics, etc.
The district is part of the Transition Towns network, having a local community called "Transition Granja Viana".

History

The lands today considered as "Granja Viana" belonged to the Carapicuyba Farm, which also consisted of areas from today's Osasco and Embu das Artes. The farm was later fragmented and divided between dozens of people, including Niso Vianna ; José Giorgi, owner of Fazenda Cabanas ; and Junqueira de Aquino family, owners of Fazendinha.
The main center of the farm was renamed Granja Vianna. Its owner, Niso Vianna, was a rotary member and a businessman in the field of fertilizers. He founded the Lar Rotary School and he helped to build the Santo Antônio Church. The name "Granja" came after Niso acquired more lands, imported cattle from foreign countries and started to dedicate himself to the production of milk and cheese. On 29 July 1959, the Sociedade Amigos da Vila de Santo Antônio de Carapicuíba was founded; it was replaced in 1980 by the Sociedade Amigos do Bairro da Granja Vianna.
Geographer Aziz Ab'Saber, who lived in the neighborhood, criticized in 1991 the way it developed:
In the late half of the 20th century, Granja became a dormitory for wealthy families of São Paulo, being filled with luxury condominiums. In the 21st century, it attracted companies and more people, becoming a high-density neighborhood, incompatible with its infrastructure.
Today, Granja Viana has cultural and leisure options, such as the Granja Viana International Karting Track, Cemucam Park and the Zu Lai Buddhist Temple.

Sites of interest

Granja Viana is home to the Granja Viana International Kart Circuit. Another important site is the Zu Lai Temple, the largest Buddhist temple in Latin America.

Notable residents