About the city and the twinning
About São Pedro do Butiá
São Pedro do Butiá is a municipality in the Missões region of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil’s southernmost state. Formerly a district of Cerro Largo, it became a separate municipality on 20 March 1992 under State Law No. 9,553. Its municipal administration was formally installed on 1 January 1993. The municipality comprises the districts of São Pedro do Butiá and Butiá Inferior.
History and cultural heritage
Families of German origin, including descendants of migrants from the Hunsrück region, helped shape the area’s local traditions. The municipality’s name honours Saint Peter, its patron saint, and incorporates butiá, the name of a local palm. The parish church of São Pedro Apóstolo was built between 1924 and 1934 with volunteer labour. The German Heritage Centre, known locally as the Centro Germânico Missioneiro, preserves aspects of community life through landmarks such as the Gemeindeschule, or community school, and the Museu Casa do Colono, a museum of settler life.
Reported twinning with Bethlehem
Wikidata lists São Pedro do Butiá as a twin of Bethlehem and supplies no source for the entry. The relationship remains unverified in the public municipal records I checked, so the agreement type, signing date and signatories are unconfirmed.