This article discusses the emergence and construction of urban life in the outlying areas of modern Brazil. It is based on the case of Vila Boa, located in the heart of the mining region of Goias at the beginning of the eighteenth century. This settlement of gold-panners, founded in 1727, was elevated to the status of town in 1739, before becoming the capital of the Goias Captaincy in 1749. The multiplicity of periods and the gaps in between them, enable us to study the originality of the spatial and social configurations of the emerging town of Vila Boa during the eighteenth century. From the town project which tried to leave the marks of power in the public spaces, to the present day city with its organization and other aspects, as well as the expectant town waiting for decisions from the king or the viceroy, Vila Boa discovered its destiny. As the production of gold diminished, the "colonial project" lost much of its strength, and the town became somewhat half-breed - being labeled by the colonial authorities as "in decline".
Colonial; Frontier; Town; The Powers; Society; Expectant
