This essay analyzes the development of urban networks in the Captaincies of São Vicente and Santo Amaro, later merged into the Captaincy of São Paulo. It discusses the process of appropriation of the sertão (backcountry), the commotion and expansion beyond the confines to the tune of population movements and political interests. The paper also interprets the role of chapels, parishes, villages and towns in initiatives to create and control metropolitan areas on overseas soil.
History of urbanization; Captaincy of São Vicente; Captaincy of Santo Amaro; Captaincy of São Paulo; 16th-18th centuries; Urban networks
