Um olhar sobre a sociabilidade italiana em Juiz de Fora: italianos maçons e a “Unione Italiana Benso di Cavour”

Abstract

This work aims to analyze the forms of sociability developed among the Italian immigrants of the municipality of Juiz de Fora, during the first two decades of the twentieth century. The highlight of this moment is a context of urban, industrial and architectural growth and development that the city experienced since the end of the 19th century, factors that probably made it attractive to the immigrants, mostly Italians who already had a defined profession. Soon after the arrival of these people in the city, we noticed an increase in the search for associative forms, which, in their majority, brought in the essence, the support to those who needed, but also made possible the creation of spaces of leisure and social relations. Among the groups of Italians trained in Juiz de Fora, the "Unione Italiana Benso di Cavour", caught our attention. This society was formed exclusively by Italians and was different from the other associations, due to its Masonic character. The group was founded by twenty-two immigrants who were also involved in some way with the commerce and/or urban growth of Juiz de Fora. The time cut will cover the inauguration year of the Masonic lodge, 1902, until the year 1925, when it begins to accept as members, men not born in Italy. To support the research, we will use store statute, documents and books that depict some of the steps of these immigrants in the city and the means of sociability in which they were inserted, as well as the reading of periodicals of the time, trying to observe, as the members of this group were being reported in the city. Thus it is intended to note how the sociability between these men developed, how they formed their networks of friendship and how much the store may have influenced or not for the development of the activities of these Italians in Juiz de Fora.