The foreigner's paper in the formation and transformation of the central and peri-central area of Rio de Janeiro

Abstract

The central and peri-central area of Rio de Janeiro as we call it today, is basically constituted by the whole colonial city, the way it appears on the maps in the first decade of the XIXth century. We shall identify the inhabitant of the city founded by Portuguese settlers as the man of the place, any other inhabitant being considered as a foreigner. As a capital sheltering successively a colonial, royal, imperial and republican regime, the city undertakes urban projects which modernise it, but damages completely its colonial features. Unlike some present studies which consider as factors of extinction the entry of Brazil into the international capitalism and republican regime, we believe the colonial city disappeared gradually, through many actions, most of the time motivated by stable or short time relations established with foreigners.