Cultural Landscape: Beyond Images

“Pomerode – the most German city in Brazil” is the slogan of this small town located in the tourist region called European Valley. Using this self-designation, several reflections regarding the production and representative processes of heritage can be made. The impact of images on the construction of identities and reproduction of collective memories is our object of study, working in the context of the recognition of the Brazilian cultural landscape in the rural centres of Testo Alto (Pomerode) and Rio da Luz (Jaragua do Sul), both in the sate of Santa Catarina. The nature of the “spectacular,” in modern society, narrows the bonds between the real and the copy, while both are represented there, as a spectacle. This premise provides bases for the assimilation of the imagery category in the patrimonial field, conceiving it as a historical artefact and holder of meaning and value.