O parnaso mineiro: a construção história da paisagem do pico do Itacolomi (1889-1967)

Abstract

The protection of Pico do Itacolomi within a Conservation Unit between Ouro Preto and Mariana, in the state of Minas Gerais, is justified by the fact that this natural formation is considered a remarkable monument for Minas Gerais society. We understand that this monumentalization of Itacolomi is one of the ways in which men relate to nature, which diversifies according to time and place. Documentary sources indicate that certain aesthetic and scientific looks at the mountains, the building of reminiscences and identities, and the concerns about natural resources and natural formations, carries the steady mass full of senses and values shared by society in relation to nature. As a symbolically constructed place, the Itacolomi was perceived, described, appropriated and valued over time by the idea of landscape. This paper aims to analyze the historical construction of the Pico do Itacolomi landscape from 1889 to 1967. From the discussions in changing the capital of the state to the creation of the Parque Estadual do Itacolomi, our research seeks the historical connections between the references which were made available to Peak, extending to its surroundings, and the new sensibilities, attitudes and practices culturally diffused by the western society over highlands and the great rocky and steep formations of nature. The theme discusses the attribution of meanings, references and exceptional values to Pico do Itacolomi, which made it one of the symbols of Ouro Preto and a natural monument protected by the State. We will investigate the changes of sensitivities and attitudes towards that rock formation as new forms of interaction between societies and nature have been elaborated.