Juliana Republic

The Juliana Republic was declared in the imperial Brazilian province of Santa Catarina on July 24, 1839, and lasted only until November 15, 1839. The Republic was declared in an extension of the Ragamuffin War in the neighboring province of Rio Grande do Sul, where the Riograndense Republic had been declared.

The rebels from the Riograndense Republic, who were joined by Italian military leader Giuseppe Garibaldi, attacked Santa Catarina and conquered the harbor and city of Laguna.

The rebels could not conquer the imperial provincial capital of Ilha de Nossa Senhora do Desterro (present-day Florianópolis), because their naval forces were found and destroyed by the imperial Brazilian navy at Massiambu River (on the continent, south of Santa Catarina Island) while those rebel forces were preparing to attack Nossa Senhora do Desterro. Chiefly because of this, the República Juliana lasted for only four months. In November, imperial forces took the Julian capital of Laguna.