Preservation of eclectic sacred architecture: mother church of São João Batista, Bocaina–SP, Brazil

Abstract

The period between the mid-nineteenth and mid-twentieth centuries expresses the advance of coffee culture in the countryside of São Paulo. Cities grew rich and many were born from the venture involving coffee farms; Bocaina is one of these, located in the center of the state of São Paulo. From this context, a whole landscape that diagrammed Bocaina was constructed, either in its outline or in the architecture of its historic downtown area, where the eclectic architectural language prevailing at the time. Bocaina was born from an agglomeration of people around a chapel, the future Mother Church of the city that, after successive reforms, became one of the most expressive symbols of local history and culture, for both its artistic and social wealth. These facts justify the importance of discussing the  Bocaina Mother Church as a historical heritage in the sphere of heritage preservation. We performed a bibliographic review, technical visits, metric and photographic survey, analysis of documents and newspapers, and interviews with some individuals linked to this church.