The river of the corrals: material landscape and urban network of the São Francisco River in the captaincies of Bahia and Pernambuco

Abstract

Considered as the axis of penetration and expansion of the american dominions of Portugal, the São Francisco River presented, over colonialism, a peculiar urbanization and material landscape derived from differents "cultural encounters". Following this premise, this essay seeks to interpret, through physical evidences left in the territory (roads, landings, farms, churches and villages of different levels and profiles), the urban webs (civil and ecclesiastical) of the valley of river San Francisco belonging to captaincies of Bahia and Pernambuco. Focousing on hinterland these administrative units, aims to uncover the urbanization policy of the portuguese Crown trhough formalization of urban centers, strategically deployed in the territory, for favoring the Portuguese State and Catholic Church. Puts light on the agents, networks of relationships and social hierarchies, checking their implications economic, political and cultural in the urbanization and cultural landscape of the "River of the corrals".