Barbacena

Barbacena is a municipality in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. As of 2020, the municipality had 138,204 inhabitants. The total area of the municipality is . Barbacena is known for its strong Italian influence. The Rodrigo Silva Colonial Nucleus was established in the late 19th century, and the immigration process lasted until the early 20th century. Most of the immigrants came from the Veneto region. Currently, Rodrigo Silva colonial nucleus is part of the territory of the city of Antônio Carlos (separated from Barbacena in 1948) and of the homonymous neighborhood "Colônia". It is in the foothills of the Serra da Mantiqueira south of the state capital Belo Horizonte at an elevation of , making it one of the ten highest cities in Brazil. Located on the important BR-040 highway (also called Rodovia JK), which links Brasília to Rio de Janeiro, it is from the state capital and Juiz de Fora. Barbacena has a humid tropical climate with cool summers due to the elevation. Summer averages are and winter averages . The cool climate and abundant rainfall have made Barbacena a center for flower production — the city is the biggest producer of flowers in Minas Gerais, and is nicknamed "City of Roses". Cattle raising and the dairy industry are quite developed and the city is a big producer of milk products; there are also several small textile factories.