The beginning of historic occupation of the region where today is Congonhal and neighbor municipalities, goes back to the mid-eighteenth century, strongly driven by the discovery of gold in the mines of Alto Sapucaí. The city's settlement began in 1756 by paulistas and portugueses, when a bridge was constructed across a river. In 1880 the parish of San Jose was canonically instituted.[citation needed]
^"Divisão Territorial do Brasil" (in Portuguese). Divisão Territorial do Brasil e Limites Territoriais, Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE). July 1, 2008. Retrieved December 17, 2009.