Friday Shoot-out – My town, To Preserve is Fundamental

 

Last week while taking photos of bars and restaurants in downtown Friburgo, I snapped a photo, from across the street, of some open upstairs windows of a building where I know there is a nightclub.  I saw the shadow of chairs inside and thought maybe it was something I could use.  I didn’t really see the sign on the outside wall of the building.  Once home and downloading the photos I saw that this sign says,

“to preserve is fundamental” Revitalization of the antique facades of Nova Friburgo. 

There is a project or promotion happening to make our town show a little better.  In this area of Brazil there are many small towns that have preserved their architectural  integrity.  I have taken you to a few of these towns  via 'small places' in prior blogs.  To me Friburgo has never been one of these cute, well cared for towns.  But with this sign I have begun to hope that they (the people of Nova Friburgo) will start to see their town buildings as something to be cared for – to be made clean and to be seen by themselves as well as those from the outside.

When I walk in the center of Friburgo, the buildings along the streets show fatigue and a lack of a sense of aesthetics.     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The signs for the stores are HUGE and often expensive looking – all different in size, shape, and color. 

 

 

They often cover the the bottom of the second story balconies and windows.  And leave you with a sense of confusion throughout the town.

I went back downtown this week to take photos of examples of this … ‘mess’ and came back with the new conclusion that yes there is a revitalization going on.  You have to look for it.  If you don’t let your eye see the signs, or the traffic snarls, or the electric and telephone wires still in the 1950s mode; there are many buildings that have been repainted, with the facades repaired, but you have to look up – look up to the second story to see the potential of this city.