Historical Cartography of Rio de Janeiro:
Spatial and Temporal Reconstitution of Downtown
Douglas Corbari Corrêa, DSc
Brazilian Army – Geographic Service – 5th DL
[email protected]
Paulo Márcio Leal de Menezes, DSc
UFRJ – Geography Department
[email protected]
Summary
 Introduction
 Cartography
and Rio de Janeiro City
 Downtown Rio
 Methodological Procedures
 Conclusion
2
Introduction



Past and Present: streets of downtown
Observation through the maps
Center of the City of Rio de Janeiro:
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–
–
–
3
transformations
more then 400 years
heart of the city
maps from 1700 until 2000
Goals
4
To build maps of comparison of historical
maps of Downtown Rio dating from
different and significant periods,
considering the features corresponding
to the streets and shoreline; and
To propose a methodology for
registration of those maps in pairs, even
when they do not have well defined
scale, projection or coordinates.
Cartography and
Rio de Janeiro City


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Old maps x historical maps
Foundation of the city: 1565
Initial selection of maps:
–
–
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Historical highlights
Cartographical highlights
André Thevet Chart (1560)
• French contribution
6
Jacques de Vaulx Chart (1579)
• French contribution
• First plan of the city
• First economic and
topographic map of
‘Carioca’ land
7
Chart of Rio de Janeiro, by Luiz Teixeira (1586)
• First specialized
Portugese chart of
Guanabara region
• Beginning of the
expansion of the city
toward the meadow,
between Castelo and
São Bento hills.
8
Reys-Boeck Chart (1624)
• Dutch activity
• Expansion through the
meadow among
Castelo, São Bento,
Conceição and Santo
Antônio hills.
9
Albernaz I Chart (1626)
• Strong
iconographic
representation
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• Incorrect geometry
• Ocupation of the city
Appearance of Rio de Janeiro, by Albernaz II (1666)
Cartography and
Rio de Janeiro City

18th Century:
–
–
–
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Scientific mapping
Astronomy and surveying
Orthogonal projection
13
• Trench
• Orthogonal projection
Plan of the city of Rio de Janeiro, by Roscio (1769)
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• Influence of the arrival of the
royal family.
Plan of the city, by order of the Regent Prince (1812)
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• Shadow techniques
• Geometric details
Map of Downtown Rio (1838)
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• Reform of Mayor Pereira Passos
• Central Avenue
Plan of Urban Improvements of Mayor Pereira
Passos (1906)
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• Seven colours, contour lines
• Austrian Cartographic Mission
• Independence centenary
Chart of Rio de Janeiro, by Military
Geographic Service (1922)
Topographic Chart, by DSG (1987)
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• Legend, projection,
coordinates, ...
• Expansion of the city
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Ortophoto of Downtown Rio (East Side). Date of flight: 1999.
Source: IPP (2008).
20
Ortophoto of Downtown Rio (West Side). Date of flight: 1999.
Source: IPP (2008).
Downtown Rio

The Center of Rio or Downtown Rio was not
always where it is today
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–
–
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Sugar Loaf/Cara de Cão Hill; Carioca River; Castelo Hill; plain among
the hills Castelo, São Bento, Conceição and Santo Antônio
Anchorage; proximity to water; security/defense
Center as a pole, which attracts political, social and economical
activities.
Description and delimitation of the center:
decree – July 23rd 1981
The Center of Rio went through many
transformations in its landscape, involving
construction and demolition over time
Downtown Rio (Centro) and
Adjacent Neighborhoods
Santo Cristo
Gamboa
Saúde
CENTRO
Cidade Nova
Estácio
Glória
Catumbi
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Santa Teresa
Source: Adapted from IPP (2008)
Downtown Rio

Construction / Demolition
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–
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Dinamism
Relief / Urban Network
Reasons:
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
Examples:
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–
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Air, hygiene, sanitary, esthetic, modernity, economical
interests
–
Construction of Central Avenue (1905)
Demolition of Castelo Hill (1922)
Construction of Presidente Vargas Avenue (1944)
Demolition of Castelo Hill. Source: Arquivo da Cidade (2002)
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Methodological
Procedures
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Flowchart of Stages
Methodological Procedures

Resolution(dpi)
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Post-selection criteria
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72, 96, 110, 300, 600
Orthogonal projection
Geometric shapes and relative positioning
Streets and shoreline
Scale compatibility
1769, 1838, 1906, 2000
Methodological Procedures

Georeferencing
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Comparison of Maps
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Afine x Adjust
Comparison in pairs between vectorial
subsequent maps, from the most recent to the
oldest one.
Historical Sync
Analysis
Synthesis Map [1906 x 2000]
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Streets_2000 ________
Streets_1906 ________
Shoreline_2000 ________
Shoreline_1906 ________
Synthesis Map [1838 x 1906]
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Streets_1906 ________
Streets_1838 ________
Shoreline_1906 ________
Shoreline_1838 ________
Synthesis Map [1769 x 1838]
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Streets_1838 ________
Streets_1769 ________
Shoreline_1838 ________
Shoreline_1769 ________
Conclusion
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Quality concerning resolution in scaning process
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French invasions, construction of fortifications, royal family in Brazil,
construction of avenues, and demolition of Castelo Hill, ...
Chalenges: scale, coordinates system, projection, low resolution
Synthesis Maps
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–
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Control points identification
Vectorial digitalization
–
Spatial-temporal evolution can be reconstituted
Planning policy
Expasion of the urban network
High density at Downtown
Extension of shoreline, and, then, its stagnation