THE MONROE PALACE AND THE MEMORY TRENCHES

Abstract

The architectural cultural heritage can be considered a support of social memory, an external stimulus that helps to remember certain aspects of the collective memory. Therefore, the demolition of the Monroe Palace, a building that sheltered the Federal Senate until the capital's move to Brasilia, serves as a good example for the debate on the construction of memory and social forgetfulness. This article analyzes the political centrality of Rio de Janeiro, consubstantiated in its historical relevance, as well as the fact of the existence of a representation of the Federal Senate in the Monroe Palace. Strategies used by the military government to minimize the role of Rio de Janeiro as the center of nationality, inserting the demolition of Monroe Palace in this context, as part of an intentional policy of symbolic forgetfulness.