Italian contribution to the Urban Identity of Salvador(Bahia) in the Transition from Postcolonialism to Modernity.

Abstract

With the proclamation of the republic in 1889, Brazil officially joined modernity, with its ancient colonial capital breaking away from its past to become a modern metropolis. From 1912 to 1923, Salvador adopted an ambitious program of urban renewal and development, inspired by the Reforma Urbana of Rio de Janeiro and the monumentality expressed by Eclectic architecture. In this brief span of time Salvador underwent significant changes, not just in its physical appearance but in its social and cultural milieu as well, redefining its identity, together with the way of life of its inhabitants. The main proponent and protagonist of this extraordinary event was the emerging bourgeois class – politicians, administrators, entrepreneurs and professionals – who took the task of transforming their country from a pre-eminently agrarian society to an urbanized one, thus thrusting Brazil towards modernity. The task of materially shaping Salvador urban transformation was predominantly taken on by Italian immigrants. Particularly by architects, engineers, artists, master builders and craftsmen whose contribution, however significant, until recently has been virtually forgotten. Presently their work is still poorly documented, while many of the buildings of this period have been irretrievably lost.