“Éden Fluminense:” from a reforestation area on the Tijuca massif to a Europeanized public space in Rio de Janeiro in the latter half of the nineteenth century

Abstract

This article reflects on the resignification of the Tijuca massif during the latter half of the nineteenth century after the planting of the Tijuca Forest, based on notions of the social uses of forests which were in line with Eurocentric imagery prizing nature. We utilized primary sources from the Brazilian Arquivo Nacional and Biblioteca Nacional, especially the Hemeroteca Digital online collection. The perception of these green areas shifted, with planted forests evolving from solely spaces for future forestry use to also serve as forest parks for recreation and contemplating nature, while still permitting appreciation of fine wood and landscapes and evoking the idea of nationalism and modernity.

Environmental history; Representations of nature; Public parks; Landscape transformation; Tijuca Forest