VIAJANTES ESTRANGEIROS, LETRADOS BRASILEIROS E AS FESTAS RELIGIOSAS NO RIO DE JANEIRO: A VISÃO CIVILIZADORA (C. 1800 – 1860)

Abstract

The text intends to analyze the discourse of foreign travelers, the press and writers about the religious festivities in Rio de Janeiro, in the first half of the nineteenth century. Foreign travelers, people with ideals of civilization from Europe, represented the popular religious festivals as "barbarism" or manifestations devoid of legitimacy. In other cases, the rejection of Catholic practices was explained by travelers’ affiliation to Protestant religions. In the press and among the writers, also prevailed the civilizing ideas. Nevertheless, in the mid-nineteenth century, appeared in the intellectual field defenders of popular religious customs.