The Beginning: The origin of religious monumental attractions!

My first entry will show how historical religious monuments that are presently seen as an urban attraction in the city were once an integral part of society when the city was now being formed. According to Hall 2012, landmark buildings are usually ‘key markers of a city’s identity’ and so the church in this photo represents Port of Spain of once being somewhat a pre-industrial city  in which it was dominated by Christianity.

As the city progressed from historical times, religious monuments such as the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches which were built in the early 1800’s were kept and preserved in the city as a representation of history. Through this preservation, their significance in the urban area at that time was seen as there are many old churches still in existence in Port of Spain. In addition, these elaborate designed churches also symbolised the rich architecture that was introduced to the Caribbean by the Europeans. These churches represented their culture and so was brought to the region as they took control of their ‘new lands.’ Going back to the date of Colonialism, Christianity once played a fundamental role in society and was the first religion to have such a great impact on the city’s culture as these churches were the first set of religious centres built. 

This photo of the Holy Trinity Cathedral located in Port of Spain represented the need and importance of having religious monuments in the city in the 1800’s.  This ideology can be supported by pre-industrial theorist Gideon Sjöberg who believed that pre-industrial cities were dominated by these shrines such as Churches as this was the focal point for community living. He viewed the city as being ‘the seat of the key religious functionaries whose actions set standards for the rest of society’. (Hatt, 1951) Sjöberg also emphasised on the city having one dominating religion. In this case, Christianity was the religious system influencing the city’s structure. Trinidad in the 1800’s was indeed a pre-industrial colony and so was influenced by the eurocentric culture imposed by the Europeans.

In Sjöberg’s pre-industrial model, he also stated that the rich elite lived in the heart of the city and this was also the case with Port-of-Spain in the early 1800’s – 1900’s as this was where the plantation owners and business men lived. They were responsible for religious and political control and many functions of the city in which they themselves were responsible for the institutions being constructed. 

Follow my blog and stay tuned for my next entry in which we will further explore historical building landmarks that were built by these Elites in the city!

References

Hall, T. 2012. Urban Geography 4th Edition. New York: Routledge.

Hatt, Paul K. 1951. Cities and society: The revised reader in urban sociology. Glencoe: Free Press