Public squares as symbols of modernity and the projects of Rosalvo Ribeiro during the Era Maltina (1900-1912)

• Main Authors: Tharcila Maria Soares Leão, Josemary Omena Passos Ferrare
• Format: Article
• Language: Portuguese
• Published: FIAM-FAAM Centro Universitário 2016-12-01
• Series: InSitu: Revista Científica do Programa de Mestrado Profissional em Projeto, Produção e Gestão do Espaço Urbano
• Subjects: modernização urbana; praças; Rosalvo Ribeiro.
• Online Access: http://www.revistaseletronicas.fiamfaam.br/index.php/situs/article/view/453

The transition from the centuries XIX to XX was marked by a period of great  urban transformations on Brazilian cities specially after the establishment of the Republic. It was common to seek adding a modern and prosper aspect to the cities, among other things, in order to create an image that represented the new political regime recently established. In Maceió, the beginning of the XX century was marked by a modernizing outburst specially noted during the administration of the Malta family, when the artist from Alagoas, Rosalvo Ribeiro, recently coming from Paris, was hired to design projects to remodel the main squares of the city. This paper aims to demonstrate the role of those public spaces as symbols of the desired modernity of the time. From the analysis of postal cards, reports and other documents, the role of the artist Rosalvo Ribeiro on modernizing the city will be brought to surface, and consequently the knowledge on his work will be broaden.