Beyond the walls: Umbanda terreiros in ecumenical Brasilia.
Terreiros; Umbanda; Pilot Plan; religious spaces; Brasília.
This study examines the Umbanda terreiros in Brasilia from two perspectives: first, to provide a historical overview of the incorporation of terreiros into the Federal District; and second, at a more detailed level, to understand the relationship between rite and sacred space. The research consisted of consulting primary documentation on Lúcio Costa's plan for the Federal Capital, in order to identify the allocation of land for the creation of places of worship; collecting current data on the terreiros, interviews and spatial records, and symbolic elements in the form of sketches. The thesis is divided into three chapters, the first of which, Who Comes There?, deals with the origins of Umbanda, its legitimisation as a religion and the configuration of its physical spaces. The second, Beyond the Walls, analyses the first movements of the religion in the Federal District and outlines how the cult spaces were established in the territory. And finally, The many paths, dedicated to an incursion into the terreiros with the aim of observing the relationship between space and rite. It is hoped that this research will increase the visibility of the Umbanda terreiros and stimulate new debates on the interactions between religion, space and contemporary society, thus promoting a greater appreciation of Afro-Brazilian culture.