Gilberto Freyre in the press: an Iberian idea of the city, from 1920s Recife to 1950s Lisbon

Abstract

The goal of this article is to investigate the work of Gilberto Freyre about a specific topic, that is, the narration of cities through the lens of the press, an object of study that is not detached from the most fundamental pillars of his work, marked by an empathetic look at the past and by the defense of the Iberian heritage, considered hybrid and plastic. The theme of cities was present in Freyre’s books, such as the Guia prático, histórico e sentimental da cidade do Recife (1934) but was also subject of pages and pages in the press, a theme understudied by the specialized critic. The sensitivity to the urban aspect in his journalistic activity - with emphasis on Recife in the 1920s and Lisbon in the early 1950s - constitute the analytical focus of this contribution.