Nos altares do crime: obras sacras em estado de alerta – Minas Gerais (1998-2021)

Abstract

The dissertation presented analyzes the aggressions and attacks against cultural heritage, through the disappearance of sacred works in religious buildings, which have taken place since the 19th century in Minas Gerais – Brazil. The disappearance of sacred works evidences the embezzlement in the Brazilian cultural collection and especially in the groups that experienced them. The interest in researching disappearances in colonial cities in Minas Gerais arose due to the large number of goods stolen in the state. According to the Jornal Estado de Minas of March 24, 2010, the State Prosecutor's Office for the Defense of Cultural and Tourist Heritage registered about 689 pieces that would no longer be in their place of origin. As a result, these goods became the target of highly specialized gangs, enriching the traffic in art and heritage. This crime is at the top of the list of the biggest trafficking in the world, being recurrent until today and not resulting, for the most part, in the recovery of stolen collections. There is a mixture of pecuniary, cultural and social interests that result in different ways of valuing these objects. To carry out this research, we used as a basis news and publications in printed and electronic newspapers about thefts of sacred works, dealing with their disappearance and, at times, the recovery of these objects. We will also highlight the crime that occurred in the district of Santo Antônio do Rio das Mortes, through interviews carried out with community members. An important study was made possible by thinking of these objects as a follow-up to an identity, the result of the experience of groups that participate in this culture. It is intended, therefore, to understand the impact of these thefts on cultural heritage.