A Capelinha das Pedras e o lugar geográfico: construindo possibilidades de valorização e inclusão.

Abstract

This work aims to analyze the appreciation, inclusion and possibilities associated with the historical and cultural heritage and geographical place known as Capelinha das Pedras, in the municipality of Esperança in the Paraíba countryside. The chapel sits atop a slab called araçá. With the deterritorialization of the concept of place, the individual's relationship with space was lost, this undermined the formation of a sense of belonging and the creation of a local identity. This study revealed that the geographic location had been forgotten, used only for occasional religious activities and mainly for digital marketing purposes. Qualitative research conducted in Esperança, Paraíba, revealed a scenario of neglect regarding the heritage in question. There is a clear need for interventions that promote the appropriation of the space by the local community. From this perspective, the research identified a lack of structural and management improvements, which leads to the devaluation and neglect of the physical place, highlighting the importance of a perspective that values this geographic place, not only as a space, but also as a mediator of interactions and experiences, in addition to forming the individual's identity with the place, and thus being able to provide inclusion both physically and socially, with partnership and complicity of public policies and the local community.