The São Carlos School as a historical, cultural and architectural heritage site in Dona Francisca, RS: memory, identity, and revitalization processes

Abstract

This article analyzes the São Carlos School, located in Dona Francisca, Rio Grande do Sul, as a historical, architectural, and cultural heritage site linked to the work of the Palottine Sisters and the identity formation of the community of the Fourth Imperial Colony of Italian Immigration. Built in 1934, the school played a central role in the educational, religious, and social life of the municipality throughout the 20th century. The research uses a qualitative and interdisciplinary approach, combining document analysis, iconographic survey, on-site observation, and bibliographic review on collective memory, heritage preservation, and school architecture. This study examines the institution’s foundation and operation, its social relevance, the impact of the 1990 fire and the subsequent process of degradation, as well as the current revitalization project proposed by the public authorities. It is argued that the school constitutes a place of memory and an identity landmark, whose process of material and symbolic requalification represents an opportunity for community reconnection with its history. The study shows that preserving the São Carlos School is preserving the trajectory, identity, and Franciscan culture.