Quinta da Boa Vista and Museu Nacional are places known for their great historical relevance during the Brazilian Empire, serving as the Royal Family's residence. Today, they serve different functions from their former roles. Museu Nacional, for example, holds an important social memory of broad significance, and after its partial destruction - resulting from a fire at the end of 2018 - it sparked great outrage among the population.
Image description: This is an old black-and-white photograph, dated around 1894. The image shows a large classical house with several windows, located in the center of the photo. In front of the house, there is a garden with trees and plants. In the background, there is a range of mountains covered in mist. At the bottom of the image, there is text that reads "Quinta da Boa Vista" and "J. GUTIERREZ".Quinta da Boa Vista por volta de 1894. Foto de Juan Gutierrez - Biblioteca Nacional
Setting aside a bit of the symbolism and historical importance of both the Museu Nacional and the Quinta da Boa Vista, we intend to address a bit of the personal relevance that these spaces have for some people, who were interviewed by the group. Beyond the already well-known historical attributions, these places gain new meaning through the memories of each individual, being cited by most as a place of leisure and family fun. However, there were also cases in which a closer relationship with the neighborhood did not occur due to a spatial issue, that is, because some people had no contact with the São Cristóvão neighborhood due to the distance. Would it be impossible, then, to build a relationship with the area without living in it? The answer is no! Let's use our own school (E.T.E Adolpho Bloch, located in São Cristóvão) as an example.
Even though most students and teachers do not live near the educational institution, the school has become a means of integration between students/teachers and the neighborhood. As a result, many have attributed new perceptions to places in the neighborhood based on the memories created in the school environment, stemming from trips with classmates to Quinta and technical visits in the region, for example.
Furthermore, those who already had a view of the region and its attractions had the opportunity to, once again, add new experiences to their records.
Image description: This is a photograph of three people smiling in front of a large jaguar statue. From left to right, there is a woman with short hair and a girl with long hair, holding flowers. They are smiling at the camera. In the background, there is a large jaguar statue, with green and yellow details.We can observe that all these moments/experiences are saved and present in each person's memory, and it's very good to see that, just as these memories have reached us, they can reach anyone else. Whether that's children, grandchildren, neighbors, etc. With this in mind, we can also observe the change in the narratives about the places that were mentioned, helping to ensure that their history and relevance always remain alive for new generations.
Image description: This is a photograph of an entrance gate to a building. On the left side, we see a blue sign with the ETE logo and the name "Adolpho Bloch" in white letters. In the background, there is a white building with windows and a large tree behind it. On the right, there is a closed metal fence. The gate is closed and has a blue banner with the same logo and name as the sign.Thus, it can be seen that history is not something immutable, nor is it limited to presenting and explaining historical facts and events. As we have had the opportunity to show in this work, certain spaces have their function changed according to time and the social needs of the moment. The narratives presented demonstrate that a space which was once a residence of royalty in past times has become a space for leisure, entertainment, knowledge, and so on.
Everything that contributes in some way to the construction of identity and of our memory, both individual and collective (even as a society), also pertains to history. Even though these versions are not always found in academic literature, they are just as relevant as the histories present in textbooks.
Image description: This is a photograph of a park with a lake in the center. On the left, there are large trees and rocks around the lake. In the background, tall buildings are visible. On the right, people walk along the lake and are near the trees. Boats float on the lake, and more people are spread out along its perimeter.Pedalinhos no lago da Quinta da Boa Vista. Fonte: Diário do Rio
