Santo Ângelo

Santo Ângelo is a city located in northwestern Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. It has about 76,304 inhabitants (according to 2010 IBGE census) and the total area of the municipality is about 677 km². It borders Giruá to the north, and Entre-Ijuís to the south —it's linked to Santo Ângelo by the state road RS 344. The city is located 443 km (275 mi) from the state capital, Porto Alegre.The local agriculture-economy produces and deals soy, corn, wheat, swine, sheep and cattle. Tourism in the city is primarily associated with the city's Jesuit history and the Jesuit Reductions in the nearby city São Miguel das Missões. The Angelopolitana Cathedral in downtown Santo Ângelo is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Santo Ângelo.The city is served by Sepé Tiaraju Airport and is home to two institutions of higher education, Universidade Regional Integrada do Alto Uruguai e das Missões (URI) and Instituto Cenecista de Ensino Superior de Santo Ângelo (IESA).HistorySanto Ângelo was founded on August 12, 1706 by the Jesuit Diogo de Haze. The original name of Santo Ângelo was "Sant’Angel Custódio" and then "Santo Ângelo Custódio." The Reduction of Santo Ângelo was dedicated to "Anjo Custódio das Missões", the guard and protector of the missionaries or Jesuits.