Porto Alegre was officially founded on March 26, 1772,[5] when the primitive settlement was raised to the status of parish, but in fact its origins are older, having been born due to the colonization of the area by Portuguese estancieiros since the 17th century.[6] It is taken for granted that at the time of the elevation of the original village in the parish, there was already musical activity of a classical character being practiced on some regular basis. A document attests that in 1794 the city's first Opera House was inaugurated, built in Beco dos Ferreiros.