Restoration of the Bridges of Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais - MG, Brazil

The article deals with recent interventions in the conservation of the bridges of Ouro Preto, one of the most important and symbolic cities in Brazilian history and culture. Ouro Preto, like other “Gold cities” in Minas Gerais, has a particular layout which does not conform to the radial urban structures or traditional nuclei of Colonial Brazil. Its organic and linear configuration anticipated the type of urban development known as conurbation, a city formation resulting from the merging of nearby urban nuclei. The linking of the surrounding villages was consolidated in the second quarter of the XVIII century through significant urban interventions promoted by the Governor, Gomes Freire de Andrade, Conde de Bobadela (1735-63). The principal type of intervention used was the construction of bridges, among them that of Antônio Dias, Rosário, Palácio Velho and Seca, the subjects of this article.

An architectural reading of each bridge will be made, examining the material and building systems used in their construction; their meaning for the city and the heritage designation process, the surrounding environment at various periods, and the physical, functional and visual relationships with the city. Regarding the recent restoration works, the following will be examined: causes of deterioration, diagnosis and state of conservation, interventions that have taken place over the years, the project, and intervention methodology. In the conclusion the interventions undertaken will be analyzed in light of modern principles of preservation of cultural heritage.

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