Marsilac

Marsilac
Location of Marsilac in São Paulo Location of Marsilac in São Paulo
Country	Brazil
State	São Paulo
Municipality	São Paulo
Subprefecture	Parelheiros
Area
• Total	200 km2 (80 sq mi)
Population (2010)
• Total	8,258
• Density	41/km2 (110/sq mi)
Website	Subprefecture of Parelheiros

Marsilac is one of 96 districts of São Paulo, located in the extreme south tip of the city in the subprefecture of Parelheiros. Its name is a tribute to engineer Jose Alfredo Marsilac, who developed many techniques for building roads and tunnels, even after losing 99% of his vision from being hit by a bomb in the Revolution of 1932.

History

Early settlement of the area owed mainly to the construction of the Sorocabana Railroad connecting Mairinque and Santos, completed in 1935. Along its extension, there were three stations in the district: Engineer Marsilac (which gave name to the surrounding neighborhood and later to its own district), Evangelista de Souza, and Rio de Campos.

Features

Located near the Serra do Mar and almost entirely rural, Marsilac has the largest land area of the municipality, equivalent to all of the municipality's central area. It also has the lowest population density of all the districts, largely covered by reserves of the Atlantic Forest.

This is the most remote district of the capital, located about 60–70 kilometers from Marco Zero and only about 10–15 km from the Atlantic Ocean, which is visible from some points. It borders the municipalities of São Vicente and Itanhaém. A tiny area of the town lies at sea level, located in the Capivari River valley.

It is the poorest district and has the lowest Human Development Index (HDI) of the city of São Paulo.

Adjacent districts and municipalities

• Parelheiros (North)
• Municipality of São Bernardo do Campo (East)
• City of Itanhaém and São Vicente (South)
• City of Juquitiba and Embu-Guaçu (West)