 The place we know today as "São João de Meriti", cut by the rivers Sarapuí, Meriti and Pavuna, was known before as "Freguesia de Meriti".In the 17th and 18th centuries, Meriti had many farms and chapels, being an important producer of corn, cassava, beans and sugar.In 1833, the São João de Meriti village incorporated the Maxabomba village, now City of Nova Iguaçú.