Ponte Maurício de Nassau : modernidade, espaço urbano e usos do passado nas reformas urbanas do Recife (1909 -1920)

Abstract

This dissertation presents a reflection about how the notions of modernity influences in the construction of public space of the city of Recife in the first two decades of the twentieth century. The idea of modernity and the modernizing practices not only interfered with the physical forms and aspects of urban space, but, also acted on the symbolic and imaginary aspect of those living in the spaces of western cities, especially in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century’s. To cope with these premises, we take the Mauricio de Nassau Bridge, with its physical and symbolic transformations in the 10's, to argue the formation of this modern urban landscape and how in the process, through the uses of the past, this scenario of modernity is legitimized. To this end, the documentation referring to the time in question, which explains the bridge's reform and its context, is analyzed, as well as the speeches present in the press and society that helped to compose such a scenario. Using the conceptual categories of Modernity, Urban Space and Uses of the past and their observed connections, it was desired to unveil part of the Urban History of Recife and the relationship that the Maurício de Nassau Bridge has with the composition of urban space of the Pernambuco capital.