Аннотация:Tourism has contributed to the development of the rural surroundings in the Metropolitan Region of Curitiba, a densely urbanized region located in the Eastern portion of Paraná State, Brazil.Rural touristic routes are tools to foment such a development.This article analyzes the articulation between touristic route planning and territorial development from a systemic perspective on self-government, exemplified through route associations.The empirical evidences were drawn from the "Italian route of rural tourism" in the Colombo Municipality.The approach is qualitative and based on indepth interviews and local observations.Thus, it was investigated the natural and cultural potential, the transformations that have affected the local productive system and the process of route planning.Specifically, it analyzes the route, which mainly targets consumers from Curitiba, under the aspect of Rural Territorial Development.Here, the potential of agricultural production, ethnic festivals, gastronomy, nature and architecture, are important.However, the autonomous dynamics are gradually loosing force in benefit of an increasing dependency on public institutions.
