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Revista Brasileira de Pesquisa em Turismo

versão On-line ISSN 1982-6125

Rev. Bras. Pesq. Tur. vol.10 no.3 São Paulo Set./Dez. 2016

http://dx.doi.org/10.7784/rbtur.v10i3.1053 

Artigo

Interpretive route of the historic center of Cáceres/MT, for tourism and heritage education purposes

Centro histórico interpretativo ruta Cáceres/MT, educación turismo y patrimonio

Marcela de Almeida Silva 1  

Sandra Mara Alves da Silva Neves 2  

Ronaldo José Neves 3  

Renato Fonseca Arruda 4  

1 University of the State of Mato Grosso (UNEMAT), Cáceres, MG, Brasil

2 University of the State of Mato Grosso (UNEMAT), Cáceres, MG, Brasil

3 University of the State of Mato Grosso (UNEMAT), Cáceres, MG, Brasil

4 University of the State of Mato Grosso (UNEMAT), Cáceres, MG, Brasil

Abstract

The objective of this study is to develop an interpretative route to the historic center of Cáceres/MT, which can be both a tourism product and an educational resource for activities related to heritage education. The tools used to collect data were document and field research, photography record and collection of geographic coordinates through DGPS. Th data collected in the field were spatialized, and associated with textual information, enabling the creation of products: satellite-map image, themed-map and pocket guide. Three experimental visits, with visitors (tourism event) and students, were carried out in order to validate the route; and at the end of the visit the participants rated the route in terms of itinerary, relevance of historical and cultural information of the twelve stopovers along the way. The comments and suggestions made by the participants were taken into account in the final proposal. The assessment made by the target segments led us to conclude that the product proposed contributes to the development of tourism and heritage education. The key role of Cáceres in the demarcation and protection of border between Portuguese and Spanish colonies, in 1778, is highlighted. The product put forward is part of a wider research project called"Tourism and geographic information system of Cáceres, MT: contributions on planning and local development", funded by the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Mato Grosso - FAPEMAT

Keywords: Historical heritage; Interpretive Trail; Experiences and practices; Cultural Tourism; Cultural Geography

Resumen

El objetivo de elaborar una ruta interpretativa para el centro histórico de Cáceres/MT, que puede servir como un producto turístico, así como recurso didáctico para actividades relacionadas con la educación patrimonial. Investigación bibliográfica fue utilizado, campo, con documental y registro fotográfico y recogemos coordenadas geográficas con DGPS. Los datos obtenidos en campo fueron espacializados y asociados con información textual, permitió la generación de productos: carpeta carta imagen, mapa y tema. Para la validación del curso de esta visita se llevó a cabo tres veces, con los visitantes (evento de turismo) y la escuela pública, ya que han clasificado al final de los visitantes de la ruta la ruta recorrida, así como la relevancia de la información histórica y cultural de los doce lugares de paradas, y las aportaciones de éstos en la evaluación se incorporaron a la propuesta. Con respecto a las evaluaciones que hizo por los segmentos objetivos de propuesta llegó a la conclusión que el producto elaborado contribuye en el desarrollo del turismo y actividades educativas, destacando el papel clave que Cáceres jugaron para la demarcación y protección de frontera entre Portugal y España colonias, 1778. El producto se generó con el fin de cumplir con una de las etapas de acción extensionistas titulado "sistema de información geográfico turística de Cáceres/MT: subsidios para la planificación y de desarrollo local", financiado por la Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Mato Grosso-FAPEMAT.

Palabras clave: Patrimonio histórico; Sendero interpretativo; Experiencias y prácticas; Turismo cultural; Geografía cultural.

1 INTRODUCTION

Discovering a city is an enthralling experience given that every place is imbued with history and circumstances that have determined the establishment of social groups. City tours may be positive since they contribute to growth, increase the financial resources of the region, contributes to the inclusion of local communities in the development process, raise awareness for conservation, and they may also offer an opportunity for leisure and heritage education.

In this sense, the objective of this paper is to put forward an interpretive route, as a product for the historic center of Cáceres, MT (Brazil), aiming the development of tourism activities and heritage education. The premise was that the Historic Center of Cáceres, had the necessary features to allow, by direct observation, the acknowledgment of the relevance of conservation of natural attributes and the significance of cultural heritage.

Regarding the academic context, the product created is part of a wider research project called "Tourism and geographic information system of Cáceres, MT: contributions on planning and local development", funded by the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Mato Grosso - FAPEMAT (Foundation for Research Support of Mato Grosso State).

This paper is organized in sections. First section is composed by the abstract and introduction, presenting an overview of the study; following, the second section gives a brief theoretical and conceptual framework; next section looks into the research methodology and, following, we present the characteristics of each of the visit points along the interpretive route of the Historic Center of Cáceres /MT; the fifth section, presents the validation of the interpretive route, in terms of tourism and educational development and, the last part presents some closing comments.

2 CONCEPTUAL ASPECTS

Currently, there is a growing concern about the conservation of cultural heritage, which represents the historical, architectural, urban, artistic and environmental legacy. In the municipality ('município') of Cáceres, located in the southwest Mato Grosso, this concern was experienced at a state level when the federal government, through the National Historic and Artistic Heritage Institute (IPHAN), included the city's Architectural, Urban, and Landscape Ensemble in its list of National Historic Heritage of Brazil (Brasil, 2012).

This action of IPHAN has enlarged the perimeter of the Historic Center of Cáceres and the surrounding area which had been defined and classified by the government of the state in 2002.

The overlapping instruments between the two levels of the government (State and Federal) has occurred both by the recognition of the national value and by the need for implementing additional conservation measures (Arruda, 2014).

Leite and Caponero (2015) believe that the use and preservation of built heritage have been undergoing changes over time according to values and social and/or political interests not always coinciding, affecting the way the different political levels act, focusing on different geographical spaces and frameworks which guided the inventories and the criteria for listing.

The Brazilian cultural policy, sensible to the cascade effect in the development of public federal policies, has become focused, since 2003, on the three dimensions of the concept of culture: symbolic, citizenry, and economic; these are considered fundamental for the promotion of the social sustainable development. In this sense, the protection and promotion of the Brazilian cultural heritage assumed a new face, i.e. it became one of the driving forces for social development. However, this economic dimension is not new, it has been systematically explored and encouraged by the State since the 1970s, particularly through tourism.

Tourism is a vehicle of cultural exchange between people and groups; it is a social, economic and cultural process in which several social actors participate and the mediators are important, i.e. the trade in general. We can say that tourism is the encounter between cultures and social systems which induces changes (Boyer, 2003).

According to César (2005) and Cruz (2001) tourism entails a process of spatial reading; and, in this sense, it is the only social practice consuming elementarily the built space. Insofar as tourism appropriates the spaces used by other social practices and creates tourism spaces or tourism territories or even tourism regions.

The consumption of the space may become viable through the use of interpretive trails guided or self-guided, which has been one of the more used means to interpretation, both in natural or built environments (Vasconcellos, 1997).

If tourism is regarded whilst production and consumption of symbolic goods bearing social and spatial meaning, therefore, participating in tourism develops the social identities defined by the participants' social status; inasmuch as owning a good car means social integration, practiced through the ritual experience, tourism means social differentiation through consumption (Dias, 2006).

Leisure time is, today, essentially, a consumption time. From this theoretical perspective, tourism is a system of production and consumption of leisure time, socially connoted to social signs and attributes, in a production and consumption of symbolic goods bearing social signification (Barreto, 2003). Therefore, leisure time could be, following Parent (2008), and Leite and Caponero (2015), a source of revenue which would enable the protection of cultural assets, in short, it would contribute to the conservation and enhancement of the built heritage.

In his research on tourism, Barreto (2003) stated that in Antiquity cultural trips had an educational purpose. It was expected that travelers would learn about the cultures visited and their character would be shaped by what they have experienced. The educational journeys contribute to a meaningful linkage shaped upon historic and contemporary values, raising visitors' awareness regarding the cultural heritage.

Given this, Vieira (2004) posits that visiting a city is always an activity that fascinates, being it a metropolis or a small town, they are spaces surrounded by stories, features and facts which justify the attraction and the establishment of social groups. The visit may yield positive aspects, acting as a driving force for development, increasing financial resources for the area and the region, and inclusion of the local society, raising the interest in conservation, as well as creating leisure and educational activities, by fostering a sense of belonging (Tuan, 1983).

According to Ham (1992) it may be defined as the way for communication, which translates the technical language of an environmental science, into the words and ideas of the public in general. And, in this way, it would enthrall, incite and encourage a conscious reflection. In this way, tourism presents itself as a vehicle of cultural exchange between people and groups, being a social, economic, and cultural process in which multiple social actors participate; thus, the tourism activity is an encounter between cultures and social systems inducing multifaceted socio-spatial changes (Boyer, 2003).

Within this framework, heritage education is an important activity alongside other public policies, including those related to tourism. It has the potential to offer a formation focusing on the understanding of the cultural practices whilst cultural references, contributing to the heritage conservation; but especially, as a way of developing actions allowing for the subjects to recognize themselves as historic subjects. Heritage education is also a way, not only to learn and to recodify signs and symbols present in the cultural references, but to train people who will profit from this knowledge and use it as a source of revenue.

The Historic Center of Cáceres1 is still underexploited for tourism and educational purposes. However, there are endless possibilities to carry out, such as routes (trails), cultural and educational activities, encompassing heterogeneous elements and transversal features, and the natural and built environments which have played a key role in the definition and protection of the Brazilian-Bolivian border.

As defined by Ferreira (2011), the interpretive tourism routes are tools which presuppose interdisciplinary methods. They bring together different fields of knowledge, trying a transversal and integrated approach to the abiotic, biotic and anthropic elements of the landscape.

The landscape in this study is a category of analysis. Following Santos (1985), it can be defined as an accumulation of unequal times. The forms, materialized in the urban layout, from the windows of the buildings to the width of the sidewalks, among other elements, show the accumulation of different times, resulting from the various functions which are defined by society throughout time and in view of the natural phenomena.

In the case under analysis, the Architectural, Urban, and Landscape Ensemble of Cáceres, the concept of cultural landscape was also considered. It presents an environment shaped through intrinsic human actions closely related to the organization of the space and the physical manifestations (Ribeiro, 2007).

The observation and characteristics of the elements composing the landscape, associated to the use of the graphic and textual representation, allows for the visitors to make their analyses regarding the relationships established throughout time, between society and the place. According to Tuan (1983), place is the space where one has, or creates, affective ties, to which a person develops deep emotional connection, due to its meaning and feelings built up over time.

Tourism, for its part, requires a process of spatial reading, and in this sense it is a social practice comprising elementarily the built space (César, 2005). Hence, tourism appropriates places used for other social practices, creates specific spaces defined as tourism spaces or tourism territories or even tourism regions (Cruz, 2001).

Tourism activity is the commodification of landscapes and cultural products, requiring for that purpose an analysis of the respective space through inventory, systematization and crossing of data, resorting to mapping to assist the cartographic communication.

However, the analysis, resignification, and transformation of space and places into consumption products should be careful. There is a risk of reducing the traditional forms of family association and private life to the lowest common denominator and expose them as harmless forms to an "atomized mass", nonetheless this is how the accumulation of goods earned exchange value (Featherstone, 1995).

From this theoretical perspective, tourism is envisaged as a system of production and consumption of leisure time, socially connoted to social signs and attributes, in a production and consumption of symbolic goods bearing social signification and presenting relevant interfaces for heritage education dialogue (Barreto, 2003).

Therefore, based on Fiori (2003) the use of interpretive trails guided or self-guided is understood, given that they have been commonly used to interpret natural and urban spaces. In this case, the map becomes an indispensable element as it enables visitors' own reading of the cultural goods.

On its part, as Moraes (2005) points out, heritage education encourages experiences aimed at building individuals' critical awareness, through community theory-practice dialogue vis-à-vis heritage conservation. In more general terms, Horta, Grumberg and Monteiro (1999, p. 06) define heritage education,

(...) as a permanent and systematic process of educational work focused on Cultural Heritage as primary source of knowledge and, personal and collective enhancement, in which the experiences and direct contact with cultural evidences and manifestations, in all its multiple aspects, meanings, and significances lead children and adults to an active process of knowledge, appropriation, and valuation of their cultural heritage, thereby enabling a better enjoyment of these goods, and the generation and production of new knowledge, in a continuous process of cultural creation.

In addition, Horta (2000, p. 13) states that heritage education,

(...) based upon principles and methodologies to raise awareness and use the individuals of a community, inside or outside the educational system, children and adults, as instruments of recognition, understanding, and valuation of their cultural heritage, through participation and activities, individually or collectively.

Cáceres has various tourism resources in the urban area, whether cultural assets located in the protected ensemble, or in the rural part, e.g. the Taquaral Church; Pantanal, Paraguai River and the set of mountains in the Província Serrana (Mountain Province). Furthermore, it has in its historic process events related to the opening to navigation of Paraguai River, in the nineteenth century, and the use of small and medium-sized boats for the transport of persons and goods, e.g. the steamboat Etrúria2. Besides promoting cultural exchanges with other regions of the country, the navigation on the river strengthened the trade and marketing of goods coming from the historical farms municipality and from other regions of Mato Grosso, currently Mato Grosso do Sul.

These features can be used for the development of tourism and heritage education, which possibly will contribute to its conservation and valuation, generating income and employment.

By appropriating the urban space, the tourism activity becomes one of the main agents intervening in the dynamic of social relationships, creating a dialectic process of production of new territorialities. Tourism implies a spatial rearrangements, adaption of elements, and landscape reconfiguration. Tourism influx and the adaptation of cities to the new social uses imposed by such an activity influences the urban planning (Carvalho; Coelho; Bonfim, 2011, p. 210 - 211).

In this context, the modelling and implementation of a proposal for an interpretive route of the Historic Center of Cáceres, for tourism and heritage education purposes is also justified by the socialization of information/knowledge about cultural practices and historic processes within in the territory. Also, it cherishes a legacy of historic relevance which depicts the process of formation and consolidation of cultural tourism; within the socioeconomic context of the municipality this legacy can be used as a tool for local development (Berchez; Carvalhal; Robim, 2005).

The stories resulting from the confrontation of social groups and ethnicities are embedded in the various cultural goods and places, adding to the narrative of History, e.g. the border issues: the Treaty of Madrid (1750) which defined the borders between the Spanish and Portuguese empires, intrinsically linked to the current Brazil-Bolivia delimitation, with approximately 289,572 km of land border.

The facts presented show the potential of the historic and natural features of the landscape of Cáceres and the way they can contribute to tourism development and heritage education.

3 METHODOLOGY

The municipality of Cáceres is located in the southwest Mato Grosso state, belongs to the microregion of Alto Pantanal and to the mesoregion of center-south of Mato Grosso. It has a population of 87,942, distributed by 24,796.8 km2, corresponding to a population density of 3.6 people per Km2, according to IBGE (2015). The Human Development Index (HDI), by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), is 0.737 (2015), placing the municipality 59th in the state rank.

Cáceres has its municipal headquarters in the left bank of the Paraguai River, 215 km distant from the state capital, Cuiabá. The Architectural, Urban, and Landscape Ensemble stands out in the landscape of the Centro neighborhood, particularly the mansions and the Cathedral of São Luís of Cáceres, depicting, among others, Art Déco, Neoclassic, or neo-Gothic styles. The limit of the Ensemble was set by the Federal Government, temporarily, in 2010, and definitely in 2012 (Brasil, 2012), comprising an area of 475,103.8 m2, distributed among the Centro and Cavalhada's neighborhoods (Figure 1).

Source: The authors (2011)

Figure 1 Location of the municipality of Cáceres and its registered ensemble by IPHAN  

The methodological steps adopted to develop the proposal of an interpretive route of the Architectural Ensemble in Centro and Cavalhada's neighborhoods of Cáceres are presented next.

The first step was to identify the tangible cultural goods listed individually, the case of Marco do Jauru, and collectively, the landscape as a whole, in order to select the buildings listed and their elements, which are relevant and comprise the identity, the memory, and the architectonic and landscape history of the listed Ensemble, in the fulfillment of Art. 216, item 5 of the Brazilian Federal Constitution (1988).

Step two was the establishment of the theoretical framework regarding the subject under study, as well as related topics, through document research as proposed by Marconi and Lakatos (2007).

Data collection, step three, was carried out through document research (Marconi and Lakatos, 2007) in public organizations and private records, in order to systematize the information about Cáceres cultural heritage.

Step four consisted of fieldwork, recording the itineraries to obtain the geographical coordinates of the attraction points of the landscape by means of GPS, and photographic register.

Step five consisted of the construction of the geographical database - BDG, software ArcGis 9.2 (Esri, 2007) to store the spatial and tabular data collected on the field, in step four. The vector data of the urban mesh of Cáceres neighborhoods, the observation points, the itinerary, and the high-resolution satellite image. These data were used to make the image-map and the pocket guide of the interpretive route.

Considering the number of attributes of the landscape, in step six the points of interest to be included in the route were selected. The selection criteria were the period of construction, historic landmark, and location, aiming to establish a sequential order of observation of buildings of different styles and places.

The assembling and finishing of the pocket guide of the Historic Centre Route entailed the layout design of the information (step seven), using Microsoft Office Publisher, in format A4 (21x29.7) and in grayscale. The resultant product contains maps, photos, and written information about the points of interest and public utility.

The step eight consisted of pre-testing the route. Tourists (from various cities) and schools (one public and two privates) were selected, considering that this product is aimed at these two publics. The route was assessed through a survey by questionnaire, with open-ended questions, administered to the participants after doing the route.

4 THE INTERPRETIVE ROUTE OF THE ARCHITECTURAL, URBAN, AND LANDSCAPE ENSEMBLE OF CÁCERES/MT

The interpretive route of the Architectural, Urban, and Landscape Ensemble of Cáceres/MT, called Historic Center, comprises twelve points of interest, or stops for observation of landscape elements. These are three public property buildings, two still in full use today; a historic monument; a public square; the pier Mário Corrêa, overlooking the natural landscape of the Mato Grosso Pantanal; a church; and some old mansions exhibiting traces of European architectural styles (Figure 2).

Source: The authors (2011)

Figure 2 Stopping points along the interpretive route 

A set of photographs of the observation points and respective historical and architectural information; public services and useful addresses, such as: restaurants, banks, hospital, etc., within the Historic Center, occupy one side of the guide.

The characteristics of the observation points are described above. The starting point of the route corresponds to the Municipal Historical Museum (P-1 in Figure 2), it dates from the late nineteenth century and it is located on Antônio Maria Street, No. 244. With traces of the neoclassical architectural style, the building features in its facade a parapet decorated and surmounted at the ends by decorative elements. It was built to be a public market for local producers to trade their products. Currently it is the Historical Museum, housing collections of archaeology, sacred arts, photographs and other documents, which can be envisaged as elements for discussion and composition of the spectra of local, regional and national stories.

The second point corresponds to the Municipal Public Archive (P-2 in Figure 2), it was built to be the headquarters of the Municipal Government, in 1929, and its location is on Hannibal Square Motta, No. 206. In the 1990s it was occupied by the City Council, and it is now the Municipal Public Archive. The original structure of the building, of neoclassical style, has undergone little change in the course of time, maintaining its features. It presents an embellished facade with architrave; a door divided in three parts, combining semi arch and arch with frame and pilaster, and gable in stucco, with three crowns supported on pedestals.

The Ambrósio House (P-3 in Figure 2) was built in the early twentieth century to house the family Ambrósio and presents neoclassical features. His architectural style features wall of adobe, with railing only on the main facade, the main entrance is decorated with statues of lions and children made of clay. It is part of the architectural ensemble situated between the street corners Colonel José Dulce and General Osório. The house still maintains colonial furniture, photographs and objects, which portray fragments of family participation in the municipal history.

The building which houses the Town Hall (P-4 in Figure 2) was built in 1893, it was called Costa Marques House, named after its first owner, Joaquim Augusto da Costa Marques. It is situated on Coronel José Dulce Street, No. 352, and depicts elements that are part of the artistic movement that gave rise to the neoclassical architectural style. Its structure is formed by masonry wall and adobe, built with solid and adobe bricks; mosaic floor; wooden doors and lining, with pillowed main door, iron and frame; and Venetian windows. For many years the Bank of the State of Mato Grosso, BEMAT occupied this building, but with their extinction, in July 2001, it became home to the City Council.

The building of the Club Humaitá (P-5 in Figure 2) is located on Coronel José Dulce Street, No. 324 and was constructed in 1919 to be residence of Bertholdo Freire, who was municipal chief executive, second to deputy intendant, in 1911 and general intendant in 1915. The building is known as Esporte Clube Humaitá, a place of leisure and festivities in the 1980s for wealthy social groups of Cáceres society. It has elements of the neo-classical architectural style, built with bricks and adobe, clay tile roof, decorated mosaic floors, Venetian doors and windows, with glass and woodwork; adobe facade pediment; parapet and baluster railing.

The Dulce House (P-6 of Figure 2) was built in 1871, at the corner of Coronel José Dulce Street and Commander Baldwin Street, and since its construction has been a commercial space. It was owned by the military and merchant, Colonel José Dulce. The house allows a dialogue with a set of signs in the city, such as the legendary ship "Etruria", which was also owned by the military. In the time, that steamboat was the quickest transportation for marketing bric-a-brac and luxury goods (silks, crystals, tiles, crockery, among others), which were brought from Europe and from the capital of Brazil (Rio de Janeiro) to Corumbá and Cáceres. With features of neoclassical architecture, the building has in its facade a false colonnade; animal-shaped clay ornaments, balusters, vases and a sculpture made of bronze (when it reached Cáceres gained the status of "angel", "Angel of Ventura").

Built in 1923 to be a house and also the "fort" of José Dulce, the Rosa House (P-7 in Figure 2), is located on João Pessoa Street, No. 252. It has characteristics of an architectural art movement that established and disseminated the Art Nouveau style in Brazil. This House is unique and presents striking features, such as ornaments based on flowers, coconut leaves, and arches. It is considered by architects and historians as the only building of this style in the State of Mato Grosso. Despite some controversy, in general the elements of an eclectic style can be highlighted. The Dulce family was responsible for a new way of building, and also for new cultural practices, standing out as promoters of movements and exogenous cultural practices, coming from the large urban centers, at a time when Brazil was believed to be an uneducated country and with culturally backward population.

The House of José Bonifácio Pinto de Arruda (P-8 in Figure 2) is located on João Pessoa Street, No. 274. It was built in 1916, for the purpose of residence of José Bonifácio Pinto de Arruda, a military authority. The building is an example of a cultural movement that prevailed during the period, the neo-classical style, whose features are, among other, roofing in clay tile, with parapet railing, surmounted at the ends by stucco vases and in the central part by a pediment, ceramic floors, decorated and painted lining, wooden windows and doors, with glass and iron. In the 1990s it was a Notary Office, but currently the property is occupied by a house, a shop and a phone service provider.

The Cathedral of São Luís de Cáceres (P-9 in Figure 2) is located on Commander Baldwin Street in front of Praça Barão do Rio Branco. The construction started in June 1919 and lasted for 46 years, due to various difficulties (death of the engineer and the instigator of the project, lack of professional engineers and technicians to resolve the problems related to the Gothic style, among others). The structure of the building did not fit the characteristics of the local terrain, namely, sandy soil. Being a Gothic style building, it was characterized by its vertical structure, however, during construction the Cathedral's project was restructured and incorporated elements of neo-Gothic style, presenting metal and wood structures, which took over the functions of the ribbed vaults and flying buttresses.

The historic milestone Marco do Jauru (P-10 of Figure 2), remembers the Treaty of Madrid (1750), signed by the Portuguese and Spanish Crowns, dating back to the time of the colonization of the State of Mato Grosso. It is located in Barão do Rio Branco Square since February 2, 1883. Placed near the mouth of Jauru River it was relocated by Colonel Antonio Maria Coelho, the commander of the expedition. The monument depicts part of Cáceres and Brazil's history. In 1978, it become listed by the National Historic and Artistic Heritage Institute (process No. 966-T) and in 2010 it was included in the list of Brazilian cultural heritage at a federal level (Arruda et al., 2011). The pyramidal milestone has four sides, 15.5 feet tall, and each side has an engraving. It is the only remaining architectural work of border demarcation, resulting from the Treaty of Madrid, in the eighteenth century.

The Bank Sicredi (P-11 in Figure 2) located in the front of the Barão of Rio Branco Square was built in 1921, as the residence of Humberto Dulce. It is included in the list of buildings that have marked the innovative style initiated by the Dulce family in Cáceres, in the late nineteenth century and early decades of the twentieth century. It stands out for depicting many traces of the eclectic architectural style, whose facade has a blind parapet surmounted by decorative elements and central area with architrave, pediment and decorated friezes, symmetry with respect to the door surmounted by a stucco floral adornment. The two windows openings are near the main access and have Venetian shutters and balusters.

Opened in 1929 the Mário Corrêa Pier (P-12 of Figure 2) was built for docking the commercial ship line Corumbá-MS/Cáceres-MT/Corumbá-MS, via Paraguay River, among which the steamboat "Etruria", owned by the Dulce family, stood out. The ships came from Corumbá brought luxury goods (textiles, crystals, crockery and silverware) from Europe and Brazil's capital at the time (Rio de Janeiro) and returned loaded of ipecacuanha (Cephaelis ipecacuanha), natural rubber, and other goods (jerky meat, horsehair, and leather). Due to its structure, consisting of elements of the neoclassical style, it was considered the most beautiful pier of State of Mato Grosso (before the division of the State in 1977). Its support walls feature slopes and prop with balusters. The original structure has been little modified over the years, there are only two plastered lion sculptures missing, facing the Barão do Rio Branco square. This monument represents a historical process permeated by the pursuit of modernization and progress of the former economic life of the region.

The itinerary of the interpretive route comprises the elements of the landscape of Cáceres from different perspectives (historic, architectural, cultural and economic) enabling residents, students and tourists to meet society paths throughout the years.

Such attributes, as Carvalho, Coelho and Bonfim (2011) state, are important assets that, if used for tourism purposes as routes, products, and attractions, in areas with visitors' influx, may contribute to the strengthening of the cultural heritage, but at the same they can cause changes.

In addition to the photographs and written information about the points of interest, the guide of the interpretative route (Figure 3) has a thematic map 1:5,000 scale, made from high resolution satellite images, field, and mapping data, which shows the observation points. The objective of the insertion of the cartographic representation was to show the location of the cultural goods along the itinerary.

Source: The authors (2011)

Figure 3 Pocket guide of the interpretive route (original format A4). A - Location of Cáceres in the municipal context, history of the municipality, and useful information; B - Itinerary, photos of the observation points, and respective information 

Donaire and Galí (2008) point out that the tour guide is an important factor to introduce the cultural content of the place, showing that information is the main factor in the definition of the itinerary of cultural centers.

4.1 Validation of the interpretive route in its contribution to tourism development and heritage education

The assessment of the feasibility and viability of the proposal of the interpretive route of the Historic Center was done by experimenting it (Pre-tests) as it follows:

- The first pre-test was done with a group of forty tourists from the municipality of Rondonópolis, State of Mato Grosso, in November, 2009 (Figure 4). The participants were divided into three groups.

Source: The authors (2011)

Figure 4 First pre-test in different places  

After the completion of the route, each participant was invited to, voluntarily, assess the activity. The questionnaire contained open-ended questions and a space for comments. After the results of the first pre-test the initial route was reformulated. The main problems listed were: duration of the stops, suggestion to amend the route that passed through the Museum, mobility due to traffic, thermal comfort, and lack of informational brochure about the places. Donaire and Galí (2008) have studied the modeling of tourist routes in the city of Girona (Spain) and found out that tourists follow consciously or unconsciously the scripts built by society. And they further stated that this type of methodology of direct observation during and conventional survey application at the end of the visit, offers a way to gather information for improvement of this kind of itinerary.

- The second pre-test involved forty tourists, coming from Corumbá, State of South Mato Grosso, in May, 2010 (Figure 5).

Source: The authors (2011)

Figure 5 Second pre-test in different places 

Similarly to the first pre-test, the participants were divided into groups. The route they have experienced was an up-dated version of the first one, according to the results obtained in the survey to the tourists from Rondonópolis.

- In the third pre-test the proposal of interpretive route was a product offered as a guided visit option to the participants of the Third Symposium of Geotechnologies in the Pantanal - Third GeoPantanal, held in Cáceres in October 2010.

The congressmen interested in taking the route had to register at the secretariat of the event. Twenty-four (24) participants from several States of Brazil (São Paulo, Bahia, Mato Grosso do Sul, Rio de Janeiro, etc.), have chosen to carry it out (Figure 6).

Source: The authors (2011)

Figure 6 Realization of the second pre-test in different places 

Similarly to the two previous pre-tests, the final product was assessed through a questionnaire to validate the proposal for tourism purposes. Thus, the results of the survey and the number of participants interested indicate that the route is viable

Regarding its viability for heritage education purposes the route was carried out with three schools, two public and one private owned. Within this perspective another goal was sought, i.e. socialize the knowledge produced in the University, thus providing for the interaction between the academia and society, via a project of extension in which teaching, research, and outreach are entangled, aimed at the dissemination of history and local and regional geography knowledge; development of teaching methodologies that will motivate and encourage the perception and the conservation of memory, adding values to people's formation as citizens.

In August, 2010 the visit to the Historic Center took place with 7th and 8th grade students from the State School 14 de Fevereiro, coming from the municipality of Pontes and Lacerda (Figure 7).

Source: The authors (2011)

Figure 7 Visit to the Historic Center carried out with 7th and 8th grade students from the State School 14 de Fevereiro 

In June, 2011 with 7th grade students from SESIESCOLA Leonor Barreto Franco, from Cuiabá (Figure 8).

Source: The authors (2011)

Figure 8 Visit to the Historic Center carried out with 7th grade students from SESIESCOLA Leonor Barreto Franco 

In September, 2011, the proposal of the interpretive route proposal for heritage education purposes was carried out with 8th and 9th graders from the state school Irene Ortega, from Mirassol D´Oeste (Figure 9). These activities were arranged by an agreement between the schools and the University.

Source: The authors (2011)

Figure 9 Visit to the Historic Center carried out with 8th and 9th graders from the state school Irene Ortega 

The validation of the proposal was done using the same methodology applied previously. On that occasion, from the observation points, features of the heritage landscape were presented and discussed as part of the process of building history, and the local and regional geography.

Given the age of the audience the suggestions for alterations on the route were not many. The adjustments were made by the team project after observing the behavior of the students. The changes were mainly regarding the length of stay in each place and the need for monitors to conduct the activity in the Historic Center.

In this sense, Ahmed (2003) states that the practice of interpretative routes as resignification tool and the use of places of memory, encourages the fundamental understanding of the relationship between the past, the present, and changes in the way of life.

Swarbrook and Horner (2002) also examine educational tourism, which encourages the visitor to learn about the importance of cultural goods through the "resignification" of the place linking educational and tourism activities; and the promotion of reflective heritage education from the experience of local situation.

Lima (1998) considers that an interpretive trail is a short distance path (500 to 1,000 meters) that enhances the understanding of cultural, and natural and/or built features of the landscape determined by its itinerary, which entails appreciation and awareness.

From a tourism perspective, the proposed route has potential to induce the stay, offering visitors a quick and easy knowledge of the space. Regarding heritage education, the route is an opportunity to answer questions about the formation and modification of the landscape, the street names and the omissions, such as the lack of information on certain buildings (e.g. the house of the Workers Union of Cáceres - UOC, located on Seis de outubro Street). According to Santos et al. (2008) planning an interpretative trail or route has always the objective to tell a story in chapters, in a logical and intelligible sequence, with introduction, development, and conclusion, leaving a message for the public.

Silva et al. (2011) state that the interpretive trails combine different environmental awareness activities, developing a process through values, identification with the landscape, where emotions of feeling and belonging are addressed, including relaxing activities, observation of landscapes, stimulation of the perspective acuity, among others.

In this context, the interpretive routes, when they are well prepared and implemented, may help the planning and management of the localities, linking the visitor to the place, enlarging the understanding and appreciation of the historical and cultural heritage and, thus, lessening the negative pressure on those resources; prompting behavior change, attracting and engaging people into the task of conservation; increasing the satisfaction of the user by creating a positive impression about the visited place (Vasconcellos, 1997).

Given this, the representations of the places visited become fascinating due to the dynamics between the imagined representation and the visualization represented. The map concurs to the planning and implementation of tourism activity and heritage education, being the guidance for both guided and non-guided activities.

Duque and Mendes (2006), and Oliveira (2005) concur with this stating that for tourists one of the functions of the map is to locate in a given place, precisely and clearly, the tourism attractions and facilities (restaurants, banks, useful information, etc.), presenting information about the resources they plan to visit. As for Fiori (2010), the map for the educational activities has a wider acceptance given that it helps decoding what is being seen, regarding time, forms of spatial representation, etc., simplifying the apprehension of information.

While looking into the pedagogical practice of non-formal education, Tristão (2008) refers that the proposals of interpretive trails, workshops, and other activities, can be developed with various age groups, and may guide visitors towards other interdisciplinary and transversal directions, from acquisition of knowledge, development of positive values and attitudes regarding the place visited, or even as entertainment and leisure activities

Jacobson (1998), explained that the type of route, such as the one proposed in this study (Figure 3), when carried out with didactic material has several positive points, such as: attend a larger number of visitors; permanent availability of information, without the need of guides; provides more autonomy, as it respects visitor's own pace; this strategy does not preclude the participation of a guide, who can use the information available as a basis for their interpretation and guidance work.

The contribution of the proposal for an interpretive route for tourism and heritage education purposes in the local context transcends the activation of the social memory because it establishes ties, connections, and forgotten, or unknown, affections.

5 FINAL CONSIDERATIONS

The interpretive route presents the possibility of being used by both public and private entities of the municipality Cáceres, in the development of tourism and heritage education activities. It can also be used as a means to generate new products. Adds to this the low cost of its production.

The realization of the interpretative route has shown that due to local weather conditions (high temperature) the timetable for their implementation is circumscribed to early morning (from 6 am to 9 am) and late afternoon (from 4 pm to 6 pm). Another limitation is the number of participants, which must be a maximum of 10 people per group, due to the width of the streets (narrow).

It is suggested the implementation of actions directed to heritage education within the municipal scope, in order to stimulate reflection, discovery, new uses, respect, and appreciation of the Cultural Heritage on the part of the population, thus contributing, simultaneously, to income generation, heritage conservation, and tourism development.

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1 The State Secretary of Culture issued Ordinance No. 027/2002 (MATO GROSSO, 2002), delimiting the historic center, and currently it is listed by the IPHAN Culture, as Architecture, Urban and Landscape Ensemble through the Ordinance No. 85/2012 (BRASIL, 2012).

2The steamboat Etrúria was built in Genoa (Italy) in 1890, it was steam-driven, had accommodation for 20 passengers and towed two barges of 100 tons each. Around 1914, it was one of the major means of transportation for passenger and goods; it carried ipecacuanha, rubber, jerky meat, and leather to export, via the port of Corumbá/MS.

Received: November 15, 2015; Accepted: April 03, 2016

E-mail: marcellaalsi@gmail.com

E-mail: ssneves@unemat.br

E-mail: rjneves@unemat.br

E-mail: renatofonsc@gmail.com

Marcela de Almeida Silva University of the State of Mato Grosso - UNEMAT - Master's Degree in Environment and Agriculture Production Systems (UNEMAT/Tangará da Serra). BA in Tourism (UNEMAT/Cáceres). Scholarship Extension Student from CNPq - Level B. Group member: Remote Sensing Research and Teaching of Geography in the University of the State of Mato Grosso - SERPEGEO/UNEMAT

Sandra Mara Alves da Silva Neves University of the State of Mato Grosso - UNEMAT - PhD in Geography. Professor of the Geography Department (UNEMAT/Cáceres) and of the Post-graduate program stricto sensu in Environment and Agriculture Production System (UNEMAT/Tangará da Serra). Research Group: Remote Sensing Research and Teaching of Geography in the University of the State of Mato Grosso - SERPEGEO/UNEMAT

Ronaldo José Neves University of the State of Mato Grosso - UNEMAT - PhD in Geography. Professor of the Geography Department (UNEMAT/Cáceres) and of the Post-graduate program stricto sensu in Environment and Agriculture Production System (UNEMAT/Tangará da Serra). Research Group: Remote Sensing Research and Teaching of Geography in the University of the State of Mato Grosso - SERPEGEO/UNEMAT

Renato Fonseca Arruda University of the State of Mato Grosso - UNEMAT Master's Degree in Cultural Heritage Conservation of the National Historic and Artistic Heritage Institute (IPHAN - PeP - RJ/MT). Graduate in History (UNEMAT/Cáceres). Contributor: Remote Sensing Research and Teaching of Geography in the University of the State of Mato Grosso - SERPEGEO/UNEMAT

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