Coorinates: 09°37′26″S, 37°45′25″W Piranhas is a historic city and municipality in the western of the State of Alagoas, in the Northeast Region of Brazil. Located on the bank of the São Francisco River, just at the border with the State of Sergipe, Piranhas was founded in 1891 and originally named Floriano Peixoto (in honor of the Army General who was one of the founders of the Republic and later elected President). It was initially named Porto de Piranhas, because a fisherman had caught some piranhas (a carnivore predator fish) there. In the 30s, Piranhas was attacked several times by the cangaceiros, bands of marauders and bandits commanded by the infamous Lampião, who frequently hid from the police in the rocky outcrops near the city.