A city in (re)construction: The City of Parahyba (Brazil) in the 19th century

Abstract

The 19th Century is normally characterized by two great ideals that characterized the shape and life of cities: Modernity and Hygienism. Their impact can be felt even in more simple cities in the Northeast of Brazil. The city of Parahyba in this period is marked by the intensity of constructions and repairs carried out by the Department of Public Works: paving of streets, construction of promenades, repairs in public buildings, construction of schools. If, on the one hand, all these works cause the improvement in the structure of the city, on the other hand, they disturb the life of its inhabitants. The objective of this communication is to make a reading of the City of Parahyba in the 19th century, starting from the documents of the Department of Public Works, which ordered the execution of such works, as well as to understand their impact in the life of its inhabitants. Thus, besides the documents of the Department of Public Works, the official letters and other letters written to this institution were analyzed together with the news in the local newspapers. The research was carried out in the Historic Archive of the State of Paraíba, in the Nucleus of Documentation and Regional Historic Information and in the Geographical and Historic Institute of Paraíba (Brazil).