The aim of this text is to analyze the city guides written and published by Gilberto Freyre in the 1930's: the "Practical, historical and sentimental guide of Recife" (1934) and "Olinda - the second practical, historical and sentimental guide of a Brazilian city" (1934). The careful reading of these little-studied works allows one to discuss a number of issues, since Freyre talks about the cities, as well as about himself and about other contemporary topics. It is under these circumstances - the place of the reader becomes indiscernible from that of the tourist that I follow his urban tracks, conscious of the images projected on the city, and most of all, of the clues on his own condition as interpreter of the Brazilian urban scenery and social life. The itinerary Freyre chooses functions beautifully as a compass to place one in the position of analyst of modernization and modernity, taking regional surroundings as a starting point. The texts present themes and issues that mobilized the author during his whole life.
Gilberto Freyre; Brazilian city guides; Recife; Olinda; Travel journals