The bandstands tell stories about Belo Horizonte

Abstract

The bandstands, installed in the city's most visible squares and parks, can carry information about the forms of urban appropriation by society. They appeared in the 18th century as ephemeral architectures for music and cyclical events, and in the 19th century, they were remodeled to the fixed typology. Belo Horizonte was designed to be the new capital of Minas Gerais and inaugurated in 1897, precisely at the time when fixed bandstands were widespread in urban projects, but the installation of the first bandstands of this type occurred relatively late, about twelve years later. This fact raised questions about urban leisure in the early years of a planned capital. The objective of this article is to analyze the cultural routine of the first years of Belo Horizonte and the role of bandstands in this context. The research showed that in the period without fixed bandstands, mobile bandstands were relevant in the festive calendar, which, even in an incipient city, was diversified, with frequent social and civic events. In this sense, bandstands asserted themselves as important research keys about collective habits and urban events.