Paty do Alferes

In the Centro-Sul Fluminense, in the Vale do Café tourist region, lies the charming municipality of Paty do Alferes, 118 km from the state capital, Rio de Janeiro. The town is part of the old Caminho Novo of the Estrada Real, and it is the starting point of the Caminho do Imperador. Its name combines the military rank of Alferes (ensign) with the word Pati, an Indigenous term for a type of palm tree found in the region. Paty do Alferes was once called Roça de Nossa Senhora da Conceição da Serra Acima, Freguesia de Nossa Senhora da Conceição, and Vila de Nossa Senhora da Conceição de Paty do Alferes. Its settlement began in the late 17th century, and its many name changes are due to the passage of the Estrada Real and the opening of the Caminho Novo de Minas.