In 1554, the Jesuit priests Jos de Anchieta and Manuel da Nbrega established a mission station on the banks of the Rio Tiet in an attempt to bring Christianity to the Tupi-Guarani Indians. Called So Paulo dos Campos de Piratininga, it was 70km inland and 730m up, in the sheer, forest-covered inclines of the Serra do Mar, above the port of So Vicente. The gently undulating plateau and the proximity to the Paran and Plata rivers facilitated traffic into the interior and, with So Paulo as their base, roaming gangs of bandeirantes ...read the whole So Paulo Travel Guides...