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I N T ERN A T ION ALe 0 U N elL 0 N M0 N U MEN T SAN D SIT E S
CON S ElL I N T ERN A T ION A L DES M0 N U MEN T SET DES SIT E S
leo M0 S 7 5 RUE D U TEMPLE 7 500 3 PARIS TEL: 2 7 7. 35 76
LIS'lE DU PA'I'RIM)INE M)NJ)IAL WORlD HERUrAGE LIST N° 189
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A) IDENTIFICATION A) IDENTIFICATICN
Bien proE9se : Centre Historique de la tbrnination Historic Centre of the to,.m
Vllie d'Olinda of Olinda
Lieu Etat de Pemarrbuco, region nord- Location Pemanbuco State, North-East
est du Bresil Region of Brazil
Etat eertie : Bresil State party: Brazil
Date : 24 Decernbre 1981 Date : December 24, 1981
B) REX:OMMANDATION DE L' ICOM)S B) IC()M)S RECOMMENDATION
Que l' inscription du bien cul turel '!hat the inscription of the proposed
propose sur la Liste du Patrimoine cul tural property on the World Heritage
M)ndial soi t di fferee • L1St be deferred.
C) JUSTIFICATION C) JUSTIFlCATICN
Le centre historique d'Olinda oonserve, The Historic Center of Olinda, which is
a quelques kilanetres au nord des instal- located several kilareters to the north
lations portuaires, des zones industriel:-o of the harbor installations, industrial
les et des gratte-ciel de Recife, le zones and sky-scrapers of Recife, still
charne d' tme ville- rrusee de l' ep:x:J1.le 0010- retains the charm of a city-museum of
niale. the colonial period.
Olinda fut fondee en 1537 par le portu- Olinda was founded in 1537 by the Portu-
gais Duarte Coelho Pereira et dut sa rapi- guese Duarte Coelho Pereira and owed its
de forttme a la canne a sucre, cul ti vee rapid rise to the sugar cane cultivated
dans la reglon de Pernarrbouc. in the region of Pernambuco.
Des la fin du XVIe siecle, des nussions Fran the 16th century, churches and con-
religieuses y oonstrUisirent eglises et vents, of which only rare examples,such
oouvents, dent ne subslstent que de rares as the Church of Sao Jooo,exist today,
termins, oorrtre l' eglise de Sao Joao. En were built by religious missions. In
1630, la ville, prise par les Hollandais, 1630, the city was taken by the Dutch,
fut mise au plllage et ll1cendiee. La re- and was pillaged and burned. After the
cons truction ne se fit que lenterrent, apr~ return of the Portuguese in 1654, its
le retour des Portugais en 1654. . reconstruction proceded slowly.

2. - L. -
L'essentiel du tissu urbain date du XVIlle Its essential urban fabric dates from
siecle, rrais integre glElques nonurrents the 18 th century, although it incorpor-
plus anciens. La quali te specifiglE du ates sore older rronurrents. The unique
centre histori~ d' Olinda resul te re quality of the Historic Center of Olinda
1 'equilibre, generalerrent preserve, entre arises from the balance, which has gener-
les constructions et les Jard.i.ns du par- ally been rraintained, between the build-
cellaire ancien. Une vingtaire d' eglises ings and the gardens of the early parcel-
barcques et de couvents, res "passos'" ling. G, 1e of the twenty or so Barcque
(chap:lles ou oratoires) surgissent comre churches and convents or the numerous
aI' inproviste au detour d' une .J:'I.E, la "passos" (chapels or oratories) appears
recherche re leur decor contrastant avec unexpectedly as one turns a corner - the
la pinpan te sinplici te des rnai.sons, p:in- studied refinerrent of their decor contras-
tes re couleurs vives ou revetues de car- ting with the charming simplicity of the
reaux de ceramiqu:. houses, which are painted in vivid colors
or faced with ceramic tiles.
Ville d'art aim0e par les artistes, qui
sont norrbreux a y habi ter, Olll1da a fait Over the last years, Olinda - city of art,
l'objet, au cours des derrueres annees de much appreCiated by artists - has been the
norrbreuses rresures de sauvegarde. L I eglise object of numerous preservation measures.
da Gra<;a, avec l'ancien college des Jesui- The Church da Gra<;a, with the fonrer
tes, Ie couvent do Canro, Ie palais res Jesui t college, the Convent do Carm::>, the
eveques ont ere restaures re fa<;on plus ou palace of the bishops have all been rrore
noins corrplete. La construction d I imreubles or less canpletely restored. The construc-
nouveaux est reglerrentee par un plan eli:- tion of new complexes is regulated by a
recteur et I' aire de protection a ete e- master plan and the zone of protection
tendue en 1979. was extended in 1979.
L'ICOMJS souhai te ~ le centre his tori- ICOMOS would suggest that the Historic
que d'Olinda soit compare a d'autres en- Center of Olinda be compared with other
serrbles du dornaine colonial portugais ou COl1'plexes in the Portuguese and Spanish
espagnol et qu: le gouvemerrent bresilien colonial domain and that the Brazilian
apporte des preCisions au sujet des rresu- government be rrore exact in its defini-
res de protectJ.on Jur:idi~ qu.t s' appli- tion of the juridic protective measures
qu:nt a ce centre. I.e develop~nt urbain which apply to this Center. The rapid
rapide de la ville de Recife est une mma- urban developrent of the city of Recife
ce pour le centre lustoriqtE d'Olinda; menaces the Historic Center of Olinda;
l'ICOM)S souhai te obtenir re plus anples rco'l1S would like to be informed rrore
inforrrations sur ce sujet. fully on this subject.
Pour ces raisons, l' ICOM)S juge prefera-
ble d' ajourrer cette derrande d'lnscription For these reasons, lCOMOS considers it
en attendant que Ie BreSll ai tfourm 1.IDe preferable to defer this request for in-
llste indicative de ses propositions et scription until Brazil has provided the
des preclsions sur les autres points. information noted above.
lCOMJS, PariS; Mal 1982