JANELAS DE SANTA TEREZA: Aplicabilidade dos mapas mentais na percepção da paisagem cultural

Focus on the environmental perception of the cultural landscape of small historic towns, from the use of mental maps. Overcoming obstacles to ordering and preserving the landscape requires the improvement of techniques for recognition, monitoring and protection. In this context, the window is characterized as a field of study for the tools of environmental perception, considering the architectural heritage users in preserved sites. The objective is to analyze the potential of mental maps as a method for studying the window in cultural landscapes. As an object of study, a copy of the architectural heritage of the city of Santa Tereza/RS (southern Brazil) is chosen. The results demonstrate the favorable potential to indicate qualified focus of windows related to the landscape of the place, comprising physical and subjective aspects. The conclusion is that the visual field and the focus of the window directly interfere in the perception of the lived landscape.