The relationship between physical education and health in Rio de Janeiro in the nineteenth century: reflections based on the case of Colégio Abílio, 1872-1888

This article discusses the relationship between physical education and health in Rio de Janeiro in the nineteenth century, drawing on the case of one of the most prestigious schools at the time, Colégio Abílio. Rather than merely revealing the discourses that surrounded the provision of physical education at the school, we seek to comprehend the different ways in which it was incorporated into its educational routine. Two sources of different kinds were used: newspapers published in the city and the novel O Ateneu, by Raul Pompéia. We conclude that the challenge in understanding the social presence of physical education in the period in question is how to pick up the multiple apprehensions that surrounded it.