Pinheiro Machado, Rio Grande do Sul

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Pinheiro Machado is a small, historic municipality in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. It sits on a plateau in the Serras de Sudeste, about 31.58° S and 53.37° W, at roughly 440 meters above sea level. The area covers about 2,250 square kilometers, and in 2020 the population was around 12,200, giving a low population density.

History
The region was once part of Rio Grande and then Piratini, before becoming a separate municipality on February 24, 1879. It was originally named Nossa Senhora da Luz das Cacimbinhas. Settlement began around 1765 under Brigadier Rafael Pinto Bandeira. The first settlers were Tomás Antonio de Oliveira and José Dutra de Andrade. A legend says Dutra de Andrade recovered his sight after washing in a miraculous well, which led to the building of a chantry to Nossa Senhora Aparecida and, later, a parish in 1851.

Geography and climate
The landscape is irregular with several hills, including Passarinho, Veleda and Asperezas. Soils are shallow with rocky outcrops. The climate is oceanic (Cfb): warm summers and cool winters with frequent frosts, and about 1,200 mm of rain per year. Snow has occurred occasionally, notably in 2006 and 2008. A record low temperature of -9.1 °C was recorded on July 2, 2025.

Notable facts
The town is nicknamed the “Nacional capital of sheep barbecue.” The mayor is Ronaldo Costa Madruga.