A medicalização da morte na cidade de Mariana: algumas questões para a história dos cemitérios no brasil oitocentista

Abstract

A visit to the cities of Mariana and Ouro Preto (Minas Gerais) will reveal to the careful observer the continuance of urban structures that have otherwise disappeared from almost all our cities. In these areas, the traditional geography of burials have been maintained. We analyse its historical debate concerning the location of traditional burials, identifying the origins and affiliations of the theoretical foundations that guided urban reforms in the nineteenth century Brazil. We seek to establish the historical facts that ensured that the traditional geography of burials in the city of Mariana was continued, thus highlighting the historical and cultural importance of religious burials in Minas Gerais and the urgent need for revitalization and maintenance of these sites at present.