The dialogue between the Portuguese urbanism and rivers as Brazilian territorial identity

The first maps outlining the Brazil referenced the coastline and the first rivers to be recognized were the Amazon and the Plate Rivers, defining somehow its limits to the North and the South. During the seventeenth century Portuguese and Dutch cartographers have defined more precisely the confluence of rivers on the coast and the routes, as the St. Francisco River that crossed several states. At the mouths of the rivers were built fortresses or urban settlements in order to dominate the navigation route to the interior territory. The application of a defensive system according to modern technologies, and the need to define urban rules in the establishment of cities led to the formation of technical experts so-called, the "Engineers-Military". In expeditions through Brazilian territory these technicians were also responsible for drawing maps in order to demarcate the land border, in confrontation with the Spanish crown, later recognized by European countries. The Philosophical Journey by Alexandre Rodrigues Ferreira, following the Rio Negro, Rio Branco, Rio Madeira and Rio Guapore describes the Mato Grosso region and the border line, with references always related to the course of those rivers and their tributaries. Its aim was to represent the Portuguese presence through the urban settlements and fortresses, and to study of indigenous people culture, zoology, botany and geography. These sciences were developed in the late eighteenth century and helped to identify the New World. The coincidence between the urban network and the natural conditions demonstrates the rational process related to urban design that prevailed at the time, implicit in the training of military engineers, reflecting the Enlightenment principles where "Reason" had always to confront with the river courses in Brazil