A study on the chronological evolution and interventions carried out in the Igarassu convent

Abstract

This paper deals with the interventions in the Convento Franciscano de Santo Antônio in Igarassu, in the State of Pernambuco (Brazil). Those interventions took place as of its historic heritage listing, in 1938, by the Instituto de Patrimônio Histórico e Artístico Nacional (IPHAN), which was established in 1937. The aim of this work is to characterize the architectural evolution of the Convent in a way analogous to a medical record, as well as to analyze the interventions documented from the viewpoint of the theories of restauration, contextualized at the time they were made. The research was based on the bibliographic revision of the renowned authors of the theories of restauration and on textual and iconographic documentation found in the archives of the IPHAN in Rio de Janeiro and in Pernambuco which, however, lack updated records of the monuments listed in our historic heritage. The study was complemented with information obtained in field trips. Therefore, we developed a brief historical critique about the “life” of this convent, which helped us to design the trajectory of the asset in question.