ARCHITECTURE AND LITERATURE

NARRATIVES AS DOCUMENTS

Abstract

The portray of urban and architectural environments in literary works challenges pre-established concepts and creates, through language, new ways to think and represent the space. It is from this perspective that this paper addresses the uses of literary narratives as documents: not only as an effective way of recording the real world, but also as a tool for investigating the relationship between man and space through time. The aim of this paper is to analyze the role of Literature as a source for historical research in the field of Architecture and Urbanism, ascertaining its limitations and potential; also, it intends to pose questions that can guide the researcher towards a method for the use of narratives as Ginzburg’s evidence. To achieve this aim, the article briefly outlines the theorical relationship between Architecture and Literature, and approaches the representation of space in narratives, focusing in its particularities and meanings; subsequently, the concepts of “subjectivity documentation” and "literary archeology" are introduced and, finally, case studies are presented to exemplify the discussion and allow further reflection on the theme.