History of Luso-Brazilian Art - Urbanization and Fortification

The European Perspective on Urbanism and Military Architecture in Portuguese Brazil

The result of over twenty-five years of systematic research and study trips, this monumental work by the prestigious historian and Professor Dr. Pedro Dias is an absolute landmark in the historiography of Luso-Brazilian art. Published in a luxury format (hardcover) by Edições Almedina, the book offers a profound synthesis of European-influenced art in Brazilian territory during the period it was integrated into Portugal's overseas domains.

Unlike traditional approaches, the author analyzes colonial artistic phenomena with a perspective accustomed to studying the major centers of the Kingdom and Continental Europe, cross-referencing data with other areas of Spanish expansion and colonization in South America. This volume (focused on the first major axis of research) dedicates special attention to material survival, engineering, and territorial planning through the following chapters:

Chapter I: The First Urban Centers and their Defensive Constructions.

Chapter II: The Development of Regular Fortification.

Chapter III: The Definitive Adoption of Regular Fortifications and Military Engineering.

Chapter IV: Urbanization and the Layout of Colonial Cities.

With 534 densely documented pages and a magnificent aesthetic presence, this out-of-print edition is a must-have collector's item for architects, historians, researchers of defensive military architecture, bibliophiles, and all those passionate about the cultural heritage of the Portuguese imperial space.

Author: Pedro Dias (University of Coimbra)

Publisher: Edições Almedina

Year of Publication: 2004

Binding: Hardcover

Number of Pages: 534 pages

Dimensions: 20.2 x 26.6 x 4.1 cm