O Castelinho dos Bracher: herança arquitetônica e artística em Juiz de Fora

Abstract

The "Castelinho dos Bracher" has a great cultural and historical importance to the city of Juiz de Fora. At the beginning of the 20th century, the building was design by the architect Raphael Arcuri - the oldest son of the Italian immigrant Pantaleone Arcuri. It was projected to be the residence of his family, becoming known as "Castelinho dos Pantaleone". The structure belonged to different families until its acquirement, in 1951, by the Brachers. This family held an important role in the cultural and artistic environment of the city; your moving to "Castelinho" assigned it a new meaning, a new title, name that remains on the population’s mind. With the Brachers the important eclectic building became, above all, an open, democratic and accessible place, with an intense production of art and culture. This work aims to present the importance of the "Castelinho", from its construction until nowadays, showing the modifications the building suffered in order to meet the needs of individual residents. Furthermore, it emphasizes the relevance of Bracher family depicted in the house’s spaces and analysis the edifice placed in the urban context, noting its uniqueness that confers identity and helped constructing the memories of the population of Juiz de Fora.