Construcción de espacios modernos en Quito y la comunidad salesiana equipamiento educativo y barrios obreros (1885-1940)

Abstract

In the middle of the 19th century, and in the midst of a confrontation between the Holy See and the liberal governments of Europe and Latin America, new religious congregations arrived in Ecuador. One of the most important of the time was the Salesians, pioneers in the technical teaching of crafts. Although some research on Salesian settlements and facilities has been carried out, there are no studies that emphasize their impact on the urban changes produced in the places where they were located. The purpose of this work is to demonstrate the influ- ence of the Salesian community, its educational and social assistance facilities, in the processes of urban transformation and the formation of working class neighborhoods in Quito in the period between 1885 and 1940. For this purpose, a historical-morphological study is conducted, including the investigation of historical sources and cartographic documents, as well as the reconstruction of the urban development process of the Salesian settlements within the city. At the same time, urban transformations are related to the background of political, urban and social processes. Thus, it is evident that the Salesian congregation influenced the implementation of services, improvement of roads, provision of equipment, maintenance and restoration of pre-existing buildings, generation of urban territories of identity, and changes in land use for productive activities, as well as the consolidation of popular working class neighborhoods. These results suggest that the implementation of modern facilities and the consequent development of working class neighborhoods in Ecuador were framed within the strategies of the Catholic Church to face the potential loss of political, social and economic power in the face of the liberal ideologies that were gaining ground in the early 20th century.