Santo Antônio do Descoberto
Santo Antônio do Descoberto is a municipality in central Goiás state, Brazil. Location. Santo Antônio do Descoberto is located in the microregion called Entorno do Distrito Federal, the area of Goiás that surrounds the Federal District. It is 174 km. from the state capital of Goiânia. Municipal boundaries are with: Economy. The economy is based on agriculture, cattle raising, services, public administration, and small transformation industries. There were 02 financial institutions in August 2007. The cattle herd had 31,000 head (2006) and the main crops planted were rice, sugarcane, beans, bananas, oranges, manioc, and corn (1,200  hectares 2006)) Agricultural data 2006 Tourism. The municipality attracts visitors to its waterfalls, caves and springs of crystal-clear water. Two of the water falls, lying 5 kilometers from the town, are surrounded by dense tropical vegetation, contrasting with the relatively dry cerrado nearby. Ten kilometers from the town is Cidade Eclética, a nucleus of people who make up a universal fraternity, a spiritualist community founded by Oceano de Sá, known as Mestre Yokaanam. The traditional festival of Santo Antônio do Descoberto is in homage to the patron saint and takes place on 13 June. It attracts thousands of pilgrims  and followers of the saint and there are stands, processions and music. History. The history of European occupation of the region of Santo Antônio goes back to 1726 when, according to tradition, slaves belonging a Portuguese gold seeker sat down to rest and supposedly discovered an image of Santo Antônio in the branches of a tree. They took it to their master and a chapel was built in 1728. Soon the site became a place of pilgrimage attracting people from near and far. After a time the festivals disappeared and the town continued with the name of Santo Antônio de  Montes Claros, district of Luziânia. In 1982 it got its emancipation and took the present name honoring the saint and the river that flows through the region.