Cemetery Space and the Urgency of Modernity

Abstract

The article discusses the process of spatial transformation experienced by the city of Manaus from the second half of the 19th century on, in its aspiration to modernity. The transformations were driven both by the elevation of Amazonas to the status of province, of which Manaus became the capital, and by the wealth resulting from the Amazon rubber trade. We focus here on the transformation of the cemetery space within a larger framework of changes taking place throughout the country, after the spread of medical-sanitary rules in favor of control measures aimed at the healthiness of the urban space. These changes were aligned with and reflected the urban reforms in consolidation in Europe, and were believed to be the path for progress.