Introduction

The city of Porto Alegre, with approximately one and a half million inhabitants, is the capital of Brazil’s southernmost state, Rio Grande do Sul, whose position of prominence can be observed in various aspects. Politically, it was the stage for important events that altered the course of the country’s history — such as the Farroupilha Revolution. Moreover, it is the state that has elected the largest number of Brazilian presidents. Economically, in addition to being a major center of agriculture and cattle breeding, it was the birthplace of some of the country’s leading industries, such as VARIG, Brazil’s first airline company. At the present time, the state accounts for 9% of the country’s gross domestic...