Entre o registro e a permanência: fotografia, memória e patrimônio na Praça Tiradentes

This article proposes the study and observation of the architectural and symbolic-cultural transformations of Praça Tiradentes, in Ouro Preto (MG), through photographs. Based on an approach grounded in studies of cultural heritage, collective memory, photo-ethnography, and monumentalization, it investigates how different uses, appropriations, and preservation policies have shaped this urban and social space over time. Photographic images are treated as intrinsic documents that reveal layers of meaning, symbolic disputes, and variations of belonging, contributing to the debate on heritage as a dynamic construction. The study articulates theory and iconographic analysis, proposing photography as an instrument of critical reflection, re-signification, and belonging. Photography is used as a tool for investigating heritage, allowing reflection on memory, space, and the visual discourses that constitute them. It seeks to articulate lived and institutionalized heritage, based on references from the fields of cultural heritage and theoretical currents of heritage preservation. The iconographic reading aims to understand how images re-signify historical contexts and the preservation actions undertaken by different spheres of management.