“Great Round Sea” in the Tupi-Guarani language. This was how the indigenous people referred to the beautiful bay—Pernaguá, Parnaguá, Paranaguá. The settlement of the Paraná coast began around 1550 on Cotinga Island. Attracted by reports of gold presumed to exist in the so-called lands of Sant’Ana, south of the Captaincy of São Vicente, residents from São Vicente and Cananeia intensified their navigation in search of the riches the territory might offer. With the arrival of Gabriel de Lara (1600–1682) in 1640, appointed as captain-settler, no effort was spared from the beginning to obtain a license to erect the Pillory (Pelourinho), symbolizing Portuguese justice; it was indeed erected on January 6, 1646. Attentive to the defense of the new demands of the residents—who were drawn by gold prospecting—Gabriel de Lara used his prestige to obtain the charter, which held the force of a Royal Letter since it was issued in the name of King Dom João IV. Through this charter, he elevated the settlement to the status of a town—Vila de Nossa Senhora do Rosário de Paranaguá—on July 29, 1648. Thus, in the first half of the 17th century, the municipality of Paranaguá was created. In 1660, it became a Captaincy, and it was elevated to the status of a City on February 5, 1842. Since then, it has expanded its rows of houses along the banks of the Itiberê River, weaving its destiny as the cradle of Paraná civilization with the golden threads of legend and history.