A Historical Urban Landscape of Rio de Janeiro/ Brasil

Ref.: 208
Área temática: 03 Integridad visual de los paisajes urbanos históricos
Fecha de recepción: 15/11/2008

AUTORES (* Autor principal)

CURY, Isabelle * (Brasil) - Instituto do Patrimônio Histórico e Artístico Nacional

ABSTRACT

Rio is a unique city, and beautiful, too. Also superb and unique are its sceneries. The waters and mountains surrounding the carioca setting are unmistakable. They cannot be found anywhere else in the world. The view seen from Guanabara Bay has charmed visitors for over five centuries. As time went by, other artificially built features were added to the exuberance of nature. The city became ever more wonderful. Even those who have never walked on the sands of Copacabana beach will immediately recognize Rio de Janeiro when gazing at an image of Corcovado mountain´s statue of Christ the Redeemer, of the Sugar Loaf, The Maracanã stadium, the Glória church or of Lapa´s former aqueduct, the Lapa Arches.
Cities, as we all know, are made up of nature and history. In some of them the marks left by human action have had the effect of almost covering up the texture of nature, now visible only as a river running between stones walls, or a mountain dimly seen from a distance. In other cities, men attempt to re-create the nature they have destroyed, building parks were they cherish as a relic some primeval tree that has been preserved as if by miracle. In yet others, human ingenuity, in a centuries-old effort, manages to masters the forces of nature and carve an inhabitable niche out of an arid desert or land reclaimed from an indomitable ocean, or rebuilt what has been destroyed by fire. But few are the cities where nature is a partner and associate in man´s history.
Because of its origins, Rio is linked with the European maritime expansion and with the formation of the great colonial empires. Its strategic status of port, at the crossroads of the maritime roués between America, Europe, Asia and Africa was a fundamental requisite.
The status of capital of the colony since 1763 and afterwards of the Empire and the Republic, gave the Rio de Janeiro its position of supremacy, strengthening its already important economic and political functions. For nearly two hundred years it was the country´s center of power , acting as an irradiating hub of civilization.
The enormous openness to scrutiny of everything that goes on in Rio draws the attention of the whole country with still considers Rio to be its main reference, in the spite of the capital´s move to Brasília in 1960. Its intense political life, social movements and diversified cultural output, make Rio a highly mobilized metropolis, whose lifestyle is marked by public rallies, demonstrations and other events.
The complexity of the city´s social structure and its cultural wealth has made it one of the most fascinating laboratories for investigating social conduct and human diversity. Lifestyles, word visions and contrasting worlds from the most varied aspects intersect each other. Religions involving trance and possession are everywhere, alongside business, scientific and universality life. Modern technological conquests run side by side with age-old traditions. Individuals from the most varied social group live together different experiences and follow routes in a particularly complex socialcultural area of possibilities. The vigorous interaction between utilized levels of folk culture from different origins and with different characteristics are a sign of the city´s great cultural density.

BIBLIOGRAFÍA

Neves, Margarida de Souza. The city and the Landscape. In, City Hall Rio de Janeiro. A Paisagem Carioca- Exhibition Catalogue. Rio de Janeiro, 2000.

Velho, Gilberto. Society and Culture. In Monte-Mor, Patrícia and Parente, José Inácio (org.). Retratos da Cidade. Rio de Janeiro/Brasil, Interior Publicações, 1994.