The colors of the facades of the houses and buildings preserve the identity of the Northeastern colonial architecture. Many houses, buildings, mainly churches, monasteries, squares and streets, date from the time when Brazil was colonized mainly by the Portuguese.
In addition, several other peoples, such as the Dutch, Jews, English, French, Arabs, Spaniards, Russians and Africans, left their marks on Brazilian architecture.
The Northeastern culture, present in each state of the region, enchants for the beauty and appreciation of each element. Whether in gastronomy, crafts, music or nature, the Northeast of Brazil attracts views from different parts of the country and the world, who fall in love with the charms of the region, which deserve to be appreciated and valued.
Northeastern architecture has a history and is full of beauties and characteristics with a great influence of Portuguese architecture.
With the colonization of Europeans in Brazil, the architectural style dominated the region, mainly in the sacred architecture, with the luxury and richness of details in the decoration of the churches.
History of Baroque Art
in the case of houses, they initially had simpler characteristics, and even the large farmhouses did not have so many decorative elements, but already exploited the huge internal space and balconies.
Luxury and ostentation in residences began to become more evident with the arrival of the Portuguese royal family to Brazil, who landed in Salvador in 1808 and soon after went to Rio de Janeiro.
With the advance of urbanization in cities in the XNUMXth century and the need to protect houses against pirate attacks on the coast, semi-detached houses emerged, following a more compact model. The facades practically formed a large “wall”.
Traces of Baroque architecture are present with great prominence in churches in the Northeast region.
Salvador is reputed to have 365 churches, one for each day of the year. Of the beauties that do not catch the eyes of tourists, a good part is kept in the churches and convents of the Bahian capital.
This architectural style has characteristics that exalt Christianity, with elements of arches, rounded columns, exuberant decoration, predominance of golden color on the inside and, on the outside, light colors such as shades of beige and white.
The colors of the colonial houses of northeastern architecture
The contrast between the colors of the buildings beautifies the buildings in the cities. The houses usually have a modest look, with colonial traits, and are preserved to this day with their colorful facades and certain characteristics.
They are known as platbands, they are located at the top of the façade and had the role of “hiding” the roof, preventing rainwater from being released onto the street.
In addition to this utility, the platbands were also designed to enhance the construction and decorate the building.
Among the most common elements in this type of structure are the record of the year of construction, baroque shells, eagles and sculptures of women, among others.
In capitals such as Salvador, Recife and Natal, it is possible to find many houses and public buildings in which the platbands stand out. In addition to being a reference to the times of monocultures, they are linked to the Northeastern cultural identity.
Lime-based painting of platbands and facades is a craft practice that has been practiced for a long time and is very characteristic of the region.
Both in the capitals and in the interiors and hinterlands, houses with colorful facades stand out in the cities. The diversity of colors forms a kind of rainbow characteristic and unique to the Northeastern culture.
During the revitalization process that took place from the end of the XNUMXth century, many buildings gained vivid colors that remain preserved until the present day.
An interesting factor is that the colors used on the facades also show a little of the residents' personality. This is a feature that helps to reveal the identity of the people of the region.
Bahia and Northeast tourism guide
