Buildings are the clearest expression of a people at a given historical period, exemplifying their way of living, their available technology and their artistic ideals. Being more durable than other cultural manifestations, often sheltering or incorporating other arts, such as sculpture, painting, furniture and popular art and artefacts, buildings make up the great majority of listed items, even those which are listed simply because of their historical significance.
In Brazil, the preservation of the country’s cultural heritage, where it is of national importance, is the responsibility of the federal government, through the Institute for National Artistic and Historical Heritage (Iphan). Under the Brazilian constitution, it is also the responsibility of state and municipal governments, within their respective spheres, to provide for the preservation of items of local or regional interest, and, of course, of national interest. In the same way as at federal level, state governments and many municipal governments have their own organs dedicated to cultural preservation. This is so that the number of significant listed items will grow and has two purposes: firstly, to protect the character of the item in question, and secondly to recognize and proclaim its exceptional or historic value.
Great political or economic times give rise to impressive cultural manifestations (often superimposing themselves on what has gone before and destroying it in the process), and what survives are those items which, for some reason, remain on the edge of new cycles of development which begin after the decline of the old era. Also preserved are those buildings which, by their nature, maintain their original function unaltered, such as churches, fortifications and certain public buildings. There still remains the ruins of others, historical witnesses sometimes even of the facts which caused their destruction. In Brazil, those recognized by Unesco as World Heritage Sites include the city of Olinda, in Pernambuco; the Historic Centre of Salvador, in Bahia; the city of Ouro Preto and the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Matosinhos, at Congonhas do Campo, both in Minas Gerais; the ruins of Missões, in Rio Grande do Sul; the city of São Luís, in Maranhão, and the national capital Brasília, as well as the natural heritage sites of Capivara National Park, in Piauí, and Iguaçu National Park, in Paraná.
The intermarrying of Portuguese with Indians and later with blacks, the invasions by the Dutch and French, the period of rule by the Spanish crown and the later immigration, principally of Italians, Germans and Japanese, all contributed to forge different cultures into a Brazilian ethnic identity. In combination with the different environmental conditions in Brazil, this mixture of cultures has resulted in a diversity of techniques and use of space. Imported European architecture (and other arts) have been brazilianised by this cultural cross fertilization, leaving such arts with their own distinguishing identity in every period.
The settlement of Brazil commenced along the coastline. It was concerned with the extraction of timber and the cultivation of sugar cane, and was limited by the provisions of the Treaty of Tordesillas. The main motives for the penetration of the interior were the capture of Indians in São Paulo, the raising of cattle in Bahia, and mining in São Paulo (Ribeira Valley), Minas Gerais, Goiás, Mato Grosso and Bahia (Serra de Jacobina and Chapada Diamantina). In addition, there was the desire of the missionaries to convert and “civilize” the Indians, and a general desire to conquer the entire territory, from north to south. The process of expansion resulted in large but isolated swathes of territory in the North, North East, Centre West, Centre South and South, which would only become physically and culturally integrated in the twentieth century with the construction of Brasília, a policy of constructing new roads and the development of communications.
During the colonial period, this isolation encouraged the growth of regional identities and left its mark on cultural phenomena. Generally speaking, despite the maintenance of a common cultural base, the further away from the coast and therefore the less affected by European influences such phenomena were, the more originality they showed. On the other hand, the irregularity with which these regions were occupied and developed meant that somewhat primitive styles and techniques were used at the same time as other, more modern ones.
The earliest buildings are unpretentious, reflecting the rough life of the pioneers, and relatively few examples remain. As in most urban development, the greater part of them grew up spontaneously along the roads, except for settlements founded under an official colonization policy, where attempts were made to adhere to Portuguese edicts, with the church facing the municipal chamber and the prison on opposite sides of the square, where the pillory was also situated, and a rectangular pattern of streets.
The chamber housed the executive, legislative and judicial authorities, with elected councillors and judges as the only democratic aspect of Portuguese absolutism. The church was the symbol of spiritual authority, the seat of learning and culture, and the site of the school. The square was the place for meetings, but it was dominated by the pillory, a symbol of the omnipresent repression. The Jesuit foundations at Sete Povos das Missões did not conform to this model. Here, in tandem with a socialist / theocratic structure, sophisticated townships were established on extremely advanced urban principles.
Portuguese (or Iberian) architecture, incorporating Arab and even far eastern influences, when transplanted to Brazil, became “tropicalized”. Extended eaves to protect the stucco walls from the rains, verandas and porches to take account of the climate, outhouses and slave quarters to reflect the way of life, all combined to produce Brazilian architecture, both urban and rural. As the settlers became richer, so buildings became larger and more sophisticated, producing some admirable monuments. The churches became covered in carvings, running from baroque to extreme rococo tracery, the work of local craftsmen using native themes.
In the eighteenth century the development of Brazilian architecture took a new course under the influence of French culture. Classicism was gradually introduced, in a haphazard way, and became stronger after the French Mission brought over by João VI. Curiously, classicism in Brazil incorporated ‘caboclo’ styles (also present in the fine arts), which can be seen even in the works of Grandjean de Montigny, the architect who was head of the Mission. The nineteenth century saw the influence of European, especially English, industrial architecture. This was particularly evident in the import of prefabricated iron and steel structures for the construction of institutional buildings, such as theatres, markets, railway stations, viaducts etc.
By the end of the nineteenth century eclecticism was dominant, in a kind of decorative laissez faire in which, with new technical resources, the creativity of the architects bubbled over into exaggerations which recall the baroque style, at the same time making use of classical, traditional or invented decorative elements. Painting and sculpture also collaborated with this academic decorative style. With rapid incursions by art nouveau and art deco, the way was open to the renewal of Brazilian art and architecture in the twentieth century.