OFFICIAL DEVOTION

The Iconographic Program of Parishes in the Royal Captaincy of Rio de Janeiro (1565-1821)

Abstract

This study provides an overview of the iconographic program of the mother churches in the former Royal Captaincy of Rio de Janeiro (1565-1821), which corresponds broadly to the territory of the current homonymous state. During this period, 57 parishes were created in the region, mainly concentrated in the coastal strip. Their establishment aimed at organizing the life of the districts in the Brazilian captaincies, supporting the clients in their spiritual needs as well as
their civil demands, such as records, tax collection, burials, etc. For the proper fulfillment of their functions, these institutions employed a specific iconographic repertoire, tacitly associated with the trades performed in them.