Itapevi

The toponym comes from the Tupi language Itapevi and means "river of flat stones," according to two books: "Vocabulário Tupi-Guarani - Português", by Prof. Silveira Bueno (Brasilivros Editora), and "A Origem dos Nomes dos Municípios Paulistas" (Imprensa Oficial do Estado de São Paulo, 2003), by Enio Squeff and Helder Perri Ferreira.

Says the constant entry of final work: "Itapevi (by Tupi - itá peb'y): itapevas river, the river slabs of flat stones, of ita-peba (flat stone slab) and 'y (river or waters) ".^[7]

The formation of the village began around the eighteenth century, and the first building in the city was a house built around 1720, used by Bandeirantes. The earliest settlers were probably the Abreus family.

On July 10, 1875, the train station of Cotia (Sorocabana) was inaugurated, around which formed the core of Itapevi.^[8] In 1895, the Italian Giulio Michaeli opened a quarry for the production of paving stones, attracting families of Italian immigrants, such as Belli, Michelotti and Silicani.^[9]

In 1912, Joaquim Nunes Filho (Nho Quim), from Cotia city, purchased the Sítio Itapevy, with 152 bushels. This place covering all the current city center. Nunes became a local political boss, for his ties to the former PRP (Partido Republicano Paulista). He managed the elevation of the village to district Cotia on October 12, 1920.^[10] Nunes has brought electricity in 1929 and the installation of the first telephone in 1930.

Nevertheless, the reference of the place was still under the name of Cotia train station, removing the possibility of identifying own the place.

In 1940, he arrived in Itapevi Carlos de Castro, businessman. Knowing that the Nunes family had pretensions to sell the land that belonged to Joaquim Nunes (who died in 1941), he acquired vast tract of land, giving rise to the allotment of Parque Suburbano and Jardim Bela Vista. It was from there that accelerated the process of urbanization of the place.

At the time, the train station was still called Cotia and the headquarters of the future city was known as Vila Cotia. With this, they created enormous confusion up to the postal and telegraph service in the district. In 1945, Carlos de Castro got with then Minister João Alberto that the station had its name changed to Itapevi. The people celebrated this decree.

On May 10, 1952, Carlos de Castro met with three other residents of the district: Nicolau Leonardo, Raul Leonardo and Ezequiel Dias Siqueira. Together, they drafted a petition to the Assembléia Legislativa do Estado de São Paulo for the emancipation of the district. Taking more than a thousand signatures, but even so, they were defeated by the fact that Itapevi was very near Cotia and that residents were indebted to the city. They had to wait five years for the project to be voted on again. From then and now, in a spirit of emancipation throughout this region, members of the society of the time initiated the movement for autonomy in the district, causing the population to commit mass in the process. Its founders were men like himself Carlos de Castro, Americo Christianini, Cezário de Abreu, Bonifácio de Abreu, Rubens Caramez (then councilor of Cotia and who later became the first mayor of Itapevi), Raul Leonardo (the only emancipatory still alive), Jose dos Santos Novaes, Antônio Pedra Pereira and many others.

In 1958, about nine hundred people opted for emancipation, against only thirty unwilling to accept autonomy in a referendum. That same year was formalized by Governor Jânio Quadros the law that created the city of Itapevi. The city was officially founded in the following year, on February 18, 1959, by Governor Carvalho Pinto. The first mayor was Rubens Caramez, who won the elections against Carlos de Castro.

The Executive Power is currently exercised by Mayor Marcos Ferreira Godoy (Teco) (PODE) - elected in 2024 and, by vice-mayor Thiaguinho (PL) and by the municipal secretaries appointed by the mayor. Legislative power is exercised by 17 councilors.

The city has the headquarters of the Itapevi Education Board, responsible for the state schools in the city itself, Barueri, Jandira, Pirapora do Bom Jesus and Santana do Parnaíba. There are around 65 municipal schools installed.^[11], in addition to having headquarters for the Institutes Cacau Show and Eurofarma.^[12]

Itapevi currently maintains five Schools of the Future in the neighborhoods of Parque Suburbano, Jardim Santa Rita e, Cardoso, Amador Bueno and Cohab.^{[13][14][15][16]}

Itapevi has a wide range of healthcare facilities, with private and public hospitals, specialized centers and basic units, including:

Some neighborhoods of Itapevi:

• Alto da Colina
• Amador Bueno^[23]
• Ambuitá
• Bairro dos Abreus
• Centro
• Chácara Lagoinha
• Chácaras Monte Serrat
• Chácara Primavera
• Chácara Santa Cecília
• Chácara Selva
• Chácara Vitápolis
• Cidade da Saúde
• Cidade do Sol
• Cohab - Setor A
• Cohab - Setor B
• Cohab - Setor D
• Condomínio Nova São Paulo
• Ingahi
• Jardim Alabama
• Jardim Bela Vista
• Jardim Briquet
• Jardim Cruzeiro
• Jardim Dona Elvira
• Jardim Hokkaido
• Jardim Itacolomi
• Jardim Itaparica
• Jardim Itapoã
• Jardim Itapevi
• Jardim Jurema
• Jardim Julieta
• Jardim Maria Cecília
• Jardim Maria Judite
• Jardim Marina
• Jardim Maristela
• Jardim Mirador
• Jardim Nova Cotia
• Jardim Nova Itapevi
• Jardim Paulista
• Jardim Portela
• Jardim Rainha
• Jardim Rosemary
• Jardim Ruth
• Jardim Santa Rita
• Jardim Santo Américo
• Jardim São Carlos
• Jardim São Luiz
• Jardim São Paulo
• Jardim Sorocabano
• Jardim Vitápolis
• Parque Boa Esperança
• Parque Mira Flores
• Parque Itamarati
• Parque Santo Antônio
• Parque Suburbano
• Parque Wey
• Quatro Encruzilhadas
• Recanto Camargo Ribeiro
• Refúgio dos Pinheiros
• Refúgio Verde
• Residencial Colinas de São José
• Residencial Parque Itamarati
• Residencial Vale do Sol
• Transurb
• Vila Aparecida
• Vila Áurea
• Vila Aurora
• Vila Belmira
• Vila da Paz
• Vila Dolores
• Vila Dona Paulina
• Vila Dr. Cardoso
• Vila Esperança
• Vila Gióia
• Vila Lícia
• Vila Nova Itapevi
• Vila Nova Esperança
• Vila Olímpia
• Vila Olinda
• Vila Recanto Paulistano
• Vila Santa Flora
• Vila Santa Rita
• Vila Santo Antônio da Boa Vista
• Vila São Francisco
• Vila Verde

COHAB

Around the 1980s, the São Paulo Metropolitan Housing Company - COHAB, launched the Presidente Housing Complex Tancredo Neves, increasing the city's demographic density. And in the 1990s, the city received three more housing complexes, these built by the Housing and Urban Development Company - CDHU, from the state government. As a result, there was strong migration to the city.

The municipality of Itapevi concentrates almost all its population in urban areas, resulting in reduced agricultural activity. In 2023, the municipality closed with a GDP of R$15.6 billion (U$2,9 billion) and per capita of R$67.220,40 (U$12.870,24), placing it among the 150 richest municipalities in Brazil.^[28]

The Exame magazine pointed Itapevi among the 10 cities with the best economic development in the country, and as the first in the state of São Paulo. The ranking is part of the story "The best cities for business'.^[29]

Itapevi has a well diversified industrial park, with an emphasis on the pharmaceutical industry. Large companies are located within the municipality, such as Henkel, Jaraguá, Cacau Show, Casa Suíça, Eurofarma, Alpla, Wyeth, Blanver, Bomi Brasil, Leonardo S.P.A and others.^[30][31][32]

Between 1960 and 1980, one of the main industries was the Santa Rita Cement Factory, which belonged to the Grupo Votorantim and was deactivated and demolished.

Itapevi is mainly crossed by three main highways, namely:

• Rodovia Castelo Branco: The main artery, which crosses the municipality from east to west between the border with Jandira and the border with Santana de Parnaíba .
• Rodovia Coronel PM Nelson Tranchesi: It cuts across the municipality from north to south, connecting it to Cotia.^[33]
• Rodovia Engenheiro Renê Benedito da Silva: Another east-west artery that connects the municipality to Barueri, Jandira and São Roque.^[34]

• Total: 232.297 inhabitants (2022).
• Demographic density (inhabitants/km²): 2.430,15
• Child mortality until 1 year (in 1000): 9,74 (2004)
• HDI : 0,735 (2010)
  • HDI-M Income: 0,663
  • HDI-M Longevity: 0,737
  • HDI-M Education: 0,876

(Source: IPEA data)

Changing demographics of the city of Itapevi

Source: IBAM and IBGE

In telecommunications, the city was served by Companhia Telefônica Brasileira until 1973, when it began to be served by Telecomunicações de São Paulo.^[38] In July 1998, this company was acquired by Telefónica, which adopted the Vivo brand in 2012.^[39]

The company is currently an operator of cell phones, fixed lines, internet (fiber optics/4G) and television (satellite and cable).^[39]

Christian traditions are present regularly in Itapevi, with popular festivals related to the holidays of Corpus Christi and Passion of Christ.^[40][41]

Christianity is present in the city in the following way:

• List of municipalities in São Paulo
• Museum of Art of the Parliament of Itapevi