 The city has the 2nd largest gross domestic product and the highest per capita income in the State of Santa Catarina.The city was founded on June 15, 1860, but the colonization of Itajaí had started in 1658 when the Paulista João Dias D’Arzão arrived in the region.In 1750, Portuguese colonists coming from Madeira and the Azores made this region their home.