IMPASES AND SYMBOLIC DISPUTES IN THE PATRIMONIALIZATION OF THE CHURCH OF SÃO GONÇALO, SÃO PAULO, SP
Abstract
The Church of São Gonçalo, located in the central region of the city of São Paulo, Bra-
zil, was listed as a national heritage in 1938 and de-listed in 1953, based on arguments
that evidence the subjectivity of criteria and regulations in the act of recognizing a
cultural asset at that historical moment. However, in 1971 the building was protected
by the Council for the Defense of Historical, Archaeological, Artistic and Tourist Heri-
tage of the State of São Paulo, and in 1991 it was protect by the Municipal Council for
the Preservation of Historical, Cultural and Environmental Heritage of the City of São
Paulo, corroborating its characterization as a cultural asset in the state and municipal
instances. In view of this situation, the article discusses the ambiguities and symbolic
disputes involved in the legitimation of a built property as cultural heritage, based on
the analysis of the patrimonialization of the Church of São Gonçalo.