Miradas a los conjuntos históricos en Galicia. Antecedentes para la percepción del paisaje urbano como patrimonio

Abstract

This paper examines some of the ways in which the urban landscape was perceived in the context of 19^th and 20^th century Galician cities’ modernization process. The application of urban renovation strategies, mainly widening and alignment of the streets, combined with the appearance of the eclectic and Art Nouveau buildings is seen as deeply interconnected with the origin of the first gazes noticing the risk of loss for the typical elements in the old towns. The research takes a qualitative approach by combining archive documents with journalistic texts of some Galician writers –Emilia Pardo Bazán, Antonio Rey Soto. The extension of these concerns was received in the first proposals and regulations took by architects –Mariano Fernández Ragel, Constantino Candeira, José María Banet - and politicians –Manuel Villar Iglesias, José M. Díaz Varela, Fermín Zelada-, towards the preservation of the old towns as a heritage