A cidade que parou no tempo: morfologias urbanas e características arquitetônicas de Portugal no Brasil: o estudo do centro histórico de São Luís do Maranhão

Abstract

The Historical Centre of the city of São Luís do Maranhão, which has been founded in the XVII century and subject to urban and architectural interventions following those performed in Lisboa Pombalina (XVIII century), was raised to the category of Cultural Heritage of Mankind, in 1997. Still toda y, the whole reflects the urban morphologies and the architectural features of that period. In spite of the recognition of its patrimonial value and the public and private efforts developed, the Historical Centre is devalued, with a clear social and econom ic decline. The city continues to grow, but the centre remains still in time, assuming an outlying position in relation to the new expansion areas. The article tries to analyze the spatial organization of the Historical Centre and to promote, supported by the research about the way this centre is connected with the surrounding environment, a functional and social dynamics of the urban space that makes possible the return to the daily utilization of the are a under analysis.