The heritage of a modernist city: urban past, cultural identity, and national mythology in the making of Brasília

Thesis

This thesis looks to challenge established notions of the planned capital of Brasília as purely a modernist city born of the 1950s. Using individual memoirs and first-hand accounts, political treatises, contemporary print media, speech transcripts, travelogues, diplomatic papers, and the deep body of secondary literature, I argue that Brasília might best be understood as a product not only of its immediate context, but of a far wider range of historical influences. These can be broadly grouped into three categories. First, the lessons learned from the development of Brazil’s earlier capitals, and indeed the urbanistic and political trajectory of the nation as a whole, beginning with the earliest years of the colonial period. Second, the long-established advocacy of a wide range of actors championing a capital such as Brasília - inland and centrally located within Brazil’s vast territory – the varied motivations and affiliations of which demonstrate the idea’s traction across both eras and ideology. Finally, the unique nature of Brazilian Modernist architecture and its exponents, infused as it was with myriad explicit references to the country’s architectural heritage, the Brazilian Baroque foremost among them. This thesis suggests that when interpreted in light of these factors, Brasília’s potency as a representative symbol of Brazil – a function central to the role of all capital cities amid their respective nations – is profoundly enhanced.

Authors: Fletcher, OTH

• DOI: 10.5287/ora-prqr1n8en
• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: national identity; Brazil; urban history; Latin America; Brasília
• Subjects: History