The Historic Center of Caxias do Sul (Portuguese: Centro Histórico de Caxias do Sul) is a Special Sector of the city contemplated in its General Plan and regulated by specific legislation. It comprises the region that was first urbanized, located around the Dante Alighieri square and limited by the streets Os 18 do Forte, Bento Gonçalves, Alfredo Chaves, and Moreira César. The Historic Center has been the vital core of Caxias do Sul since its origin and has undergone profound changes since the early days, but it still preserves its original urban layout and a number of buildings of great architectural and historical interest. However, it has suffered from frequent traffic jams and the degradation of some stretches. History Origins The present Historic Center of Caxias do Sul began its formation together with the city itself. Conceived as a colony, Caxias was part of a project of the Imperial Government that aimed to populate empty spaces, form a non-slave labor force and whiten the Brazilian population; to this end, European settlers were chosen. The colony was founded in 1875 with a headquarters in Nova Milano, through the occupation of vacant land, attracting large waves of foreigners, mainly Italians. In 1876 the headquarters of the colony was transferred to the Historic Center region, organized around a broad space, later named Dante Alighieri Square, where the Mother Church was built. The area chosen was crossed by ancient indigenous routes and, at one point, there was a large open field with water sources that was called Campo dos Bugres by the explorers who had previously traveled this region. At the time of Caxias' foundation, Campo dos Bugres was being used as a resting place for muleteers who traveled between Campos de Cima da Serra, where cowsheds were flourishing, and São Sebastião do Caí, the main commercial warehouse in the center of the state and a mandatory stop for immigrants. In the highlands, the idea was to create a rural colony with a small urban administrative headquarters. The intention was that the main urbanization of this region would occur where Flores da Cunha is today, but it ended up being concentrated around the center of Caxias do Sul, which grew fast and established itself as an important commercial warehouse, helping to supply the neighboring colonies. Through its area, most of the regional production flowed to São Sebastião, which had a fluvial port where the