ABSTRACT
Created by the President's Office of Planning (Seplan) in 1973, the Program for the Revitalization of historical cities (PCH) had as its main goal the preservation and the economical development of some of Brazil's heritage urban complexes. The actions carried out by this program will be analyzed here as part of a broader phenomenon in the history of Brazilian cultural heritage preservation, namely an encouragement to transform preserved sites into tourist attractions. In order to do so, I analyze documents, lectures, and speeches delivered by some of the essential players in the activities of heritage preservation and the promotion tourism, in addition to periodicals and legislation from the time period.
KEYWORDS:
Historical Cities Program; Cultural Heritage; Tourism; National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute; Historical Cities