Getting to know those who were directly involved in the city's construction allows us to glimpse its architectural evolution. In the 18th century, urban space was conceived and designed by military engineers - due to the lack of knowledge of the territory and the wars that took place on Rio's maritime borders -, but also by architects and street planners. Some men played a central role in this growing awareness of urban problems, and, especially from the middle of the century onward, a new perspective on ways of building and inhabiting took shape in the city. Two names stand out: José Fernandes Pinto Alpoim and Mestre Valentim.
Image description: The image shows a bronze statue of a man, located in a natural setting with trees in the background. The statue is positioned in the center of the image, with the face looking forward. The man has dark hair and is wearing a classic suit with a tie. Below the statue, there is a stone pedestal with inscriptions in Portuguese. The letters are clear and legible.Valentim Fonseca, known as Mestre Valentim. Bust unveiled at the Passeio Público in 1913, the centennial year of his death. Public domain image - Wikimedia Commons
The Portuguese military engineer José Fernandes Pinto Alpoim was sent to the colony's capital as commander of the new Rio de Janeiro Artillery Battalion, created by D. João V in 1738. Once in the city, he taught the Artillery and Fortifications courses, contributing to the teaching of mathematics, architecture, and construction in the colony. He wrote two important manuals,
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(1748), and became one of the leading names in eighteenth-century colonial architecture, combining his expertise as a fortifications specialist with great aesthetic sensibility. He was the main builder of the works conceived by Gomes Freire de Andrade.
Some of Alpoim's projects include: the renovation of the king's warehouses to create the Paço dos Governadores (now Paço Imperial), inaugurated in 1743 by governor Gomes Freire; the initial design of the Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Conceição e Boa Morte (1735), with the central portal and the chancel later elaborated by Mestre Valentim; the reconstruction of the Carioca Aqueduct (1750), which, together with the Passeio Público (designed by Mestre Valentim), were the two great projects of the 18th century; and the design of the set of houses belonging to the Telles de Menezes family, in what is now the Arco do Teles.
Image description: This is a painting depicting a historic square. On the left side, we see a building with two side towers and a curved roof. In the center, there is a large building with many windows and a light-colored façade. On the right, there is another building with a red roof. In the background, we see a church with domes and crosses. The square is empty, with a few distant human figures. The sky is clear and the lighting suggests it is daytime.The Arco do Teles - designed by José Alpoim - was part of the buildings belonging to the Telles de Menezes family, hence the arch's name. Image taken from the website O Rio de antigamente
Mestre Valentim was a sculptor, carver, architect, and urban planner. He was born in Minas Gerais and, while still a child, moved to Portugal, where he learned the crafts of carving and sculpture. After returning to Brazil, around 1770, he became the leading builder of public works during the viceroyalty of D. Luís de Vasconcelos e Sousa, working on sanitation, water supply, and city-beautification projects that blended Baroque and Rococo techniques. He built the fountain in what is now Praça XV, in 1789, and was responsible for the works of the Passeio Público (1783) and the Chafariz das Marrecas, in 1785 (demolished in the 19th century); he also created sacred images for several churches, such as Nossa Senhora da Conceição e Boa Morte, São Pedro dos Clérigos, and Santa Cruz dos Militares.
Image description: This is an old photograph of a garden. On the left side, we see tall, dense trees with thick trunks and heavy foliage. In the center, there is a curved path leading to the background, where a monument with a raised figure stands. On the right, there are more trees and ornamental plants. In the foreground, there is a small lake with a decorated iron bridge. The lighting is soft, suggesting the photo was taken during the day.Passeio Público, designed by Mestre Valentim (1783). Augusto Stahl, 1862. Instituto Moreira Salles. Location 001SW001006
