The cultural landscape of the Captaincy of Parahyba, Brazil, from the point of view of the iconography of the colonial period

Abstract

The natural landscape of João Pessoa is among the most beautiful in the country, mixing paradisiacal beaches, cliffs, reefs, among other natural elements, being known as a tourist resort. Added to this, it has a Historical Center with buildings among the oldest in the country, reflecting a historical period concerning the occupation of the Portuguese. Thus, the privileged nature, associated with the important cultural heritage, results in the appropriation of this coastal environment, with the consequent urban evolution that dates back to the XVI century. The objective of this work is to present the perception that travelers who were in the Capitania of Parahyba had about the physical environment that was primordial for the consolidation and urban expansion of the capital, resulting in its cultural landscape. For this, an extensive iconographic documentation elaborated during the period was used, with the role of instigating the current communities to a rediscovery of their identity and roots that are linked to the physical elements of the space.