# Law No. 7537 of September 16, 1986

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105650168](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105650168)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-7537-of-september-16-1986

## Key Facts
- **Official Title:** Lei nº 7537, de 16 de setembro de 1986
- **Type of Legal Instrument:** Statute (federal law)
- **Date of Enactment:** September 16, 1986
- **Promulgating Authority:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil
- **President at Enactment:** José Sarney
- **Place of Publication:** Brasília, Brazil
- **Subject:** Declares the city of Cametá, in the state of Pará, as National Historical Heritage ("Patrimônio Histórico Nacional")
- **Jurisdiction:** Brazil (federal level)
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese
- **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 7537/1986
- **Lexml Brazil URN:** `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1986-09-16;7537`
- **Full Text Availability:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/l7537.htm
- **Instance of:** Statute (formal written document creating law)
- **Main Subject Entities:** Cametá (municipality in Pará), Pará (state in Brazil), Municipality (administrative division)
- **Law Digest Summary:** "CONSIDERA PATRIMONIO HISTORICO NACIONAL A CIDADE DE CAMETA, NO ESTADO DO PARA." (Declares the city of Cametá, in the State of Pará, as National Historical Heritage)

## FAQs

**What is the primary purpose of Law No. 7537/1986?**
The law's sole purpose is to designate the city of Cametá, located in the state of Pará, as a National Historical Heritage site, thereby recognizing its cultural and historical importance to Brazil and affording it federal-level protection.

**Who approved and signed this law into effect?**
Law No. 7537 was approved by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil and promulgated by President José Sarney on September 16, 1986.

**Where can the full text of this law be found?**
The official full text of Law No. 7537/1986 is available online through the Brazilian Presidency's legislative portal at https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/l7537.htm and is indexed under the Lexml Brazil identifier `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1986-09-16;7537`.

**What type of legal document is this?**
This is a statute—a formal written document enacted by the Brazilian federal government to create law. It is a manifestation of statutory law and is classified as a legal act at the federal level, applying to all jurisdictions within Brazil.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 7537 of September 16, 1986, represents a critical assertion of federal cultural preservation policy in Brazil. By declaring Cametá a National Historical Heritage site, the law does more than bestow an honorific title; it integrates this specific Amazonian municipality into Brazil's official protected patrimony framework. This designation subjects Cametá to federal preservation standards, potentially restricting modifications to historical sites and enabling access to cultural preservation funding. The law matters because it demonstrates the reach of federal heritage protection into the Amazon region, acknowledging that significant Brazilian history exists beyond the coastal cities and major metropolitan centers. Enacted during the post-military dictatorship "New Republic" period under President José Sarney, it reflects the era's renewed emphasis on cultural identity and democratic governance. The law also serves as a legal precedent for how remote municipalities with colonial and indigenous histories can gain federal recognition, ensuring that the architectural and cultural legacy of places like Cametá are preserved for future generations. By using the mechanism of federal statute—the strongest form of such protection—rather than a lower-level decree, the Brazilian government signaled the national importance of this Amazonian heritage site.

## Notable For
- **Amazonian Heritage Recognition:** One of the federal laws specifically designating an Amazon region municipality as National Historical Heritage
- **Post-Dictatorship Cultural Policy:** Enacted during Brazil's democratic transition period (the New Republic), reflecting renewed focus on cultural preservation
- **Single-Subject Statute:** Notable for its focused scope—dedicated entirely to the heritage designation of one specific municipality
- **Colonial History Preservation:** Protects a city with significant colonial-era history in the Amazon basin
- **Federal Protection Status:** Elevates a local heritage site to national-level protection and oversight
- **Legal Precedent:** Serves as a reference point for subsequent heritage designation legislation in the Amazon region
- **State of Pará Significance:** One of the heritage protection laws specifically benefiting the state of Pará

## Body

### Legal Classification and Status
Law No. 7537 of September 16, 1986, is a Brazilian federal statute (Portuguese: *Lei federal*), which constitutes a formal written document that creates law. As an instance of a statute, it functions as the concrete manifestation of statutory law within the Brazilian legal system. The law was created through the legislative process and serves as an official legal record enacted by the federal government. Statutes of this type are generally considered public domain documents under Brazilian and international legal principles, as they are official government edicts. The law is classified as a legal act at the federal level and applies to all jurisdictions within the Federative Republic of Brazil.

### Enactment and Promulgation
The statute was enacted and promulgated on September 16, 1986, in Brasília, the federal capital of Brazil. The approving authority was the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil, with President José Sarney serving as the head of state who promulgated the law. José Sarney, who had assumed the presidency in 1985 following the death of Tancredo Neves and was later indirectly elected by Congress in 1985, was leading Brazil through its transition from military dictatorship to democracy during this period. The promulgation occurred at a specific point in time (1986-09-16) through the method of official presidential promulgation, making it legally binding across all Brazilian territory.

### Subject and Scope: Cametá, Pará
The principal subject and direct beneficiary of Law No. 7537 is the municipality of Cametá, located in the state of Pará in northern Brazil. Cametá is a historic city situated in the Amazon region, with roots dating back to the colonial period. The law's digest explicitly states its purpose: "CONSIDERA PATRIMONIO HISTORICO NACIONAL A CIDADE DE CAMETA, NO ESTADO DO PARA" (Declares the city of Cametá, in the State of Pará, as National Historical Heritage). The law identifies three interconnected main subjects: the city of Cametá itself, the state of Pará (the broader administrative jurisdiction), and the concept of municipality (município) as an administrative division. This tripartite focus acknowledges the local, state, and administrative dimensions of the heritage designation. By designating Cametá as a National Historical Heritage site, the law places the city under the protection of Brazil's cultural patrimony framework, which is administered at the federal level by the National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage (IPHAN).

### Historical and Geographical Context
Cametá is located in the Brazilian state of Pará, which is part of the North Region of Brazil and encompasses a significant portion of the Amazon rainforest. Pará is Brazil's second-largest state by area and has a rich history shaped by indigenous peoples, Portuguese colonization, the rubber boom, and various waves of migration. The city of Cametá itself sits on the banks of the Tocantins River and has historical significance as one of the older colonial settlements in the Amazon basin. Its heritage likely includes colonial-era architecture, religious structures, and cultural traditions that reflect the intersection of indigenous, African, and Portuguese influences characteristic of the Amazon region. The decision to designate it as National Historical Heritage in 1986 came at a time when Brazil was increasingly recognizing the importance of preserving cultural sites outside the traditional centers of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and the colonial towns of Minas Gerais.

### Legal and Documentary Identifiers
Law No. 7537 is indexed and accessible through multiple official Brazilian legal databases. Its primary identifier is the Lexml Brazil URN (Uniform Resource Name): `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1986-09-16;7537`. This identifier follows the international Lexml standard for legal document identification and provides a persistent, unique reference for the statute. The legal citation format is standardized as "Lei nº 7537/1986." The full text is officially hosted on the Brazilian Presidency's legislative portal (Portal de Atos do Poder Executivo) at the URL: https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/l7537.htm. This accessibility ensures that citizens, legal professionals, researchers, and government officials can access the authentic text of the law. The law is also tracked within WikiProject Brazilian Laws, a Wikimedia initiative dedicated to documenting Brazilian legislation.

### Language and Jurisdiction
The law was written and published in Brazilian Portuguese, the official language of Brazil. It applies to the entire territory of Brazil (jurisdiction: Brazil) as federal law, though its direct effects are concentrated on the municipality of Cametá in Pará. As a federal statute, it supersedes any conflicting state or municipal regulations and is enforceable through federal mechanisms. The law operates within the broader context of the Brazilian Federal Constitution of 1967 (then in effect, though extensively amended) and subsequent constitutional provisions, particularly those related to cultural heritage protection which were later reinforced in the 1988 Constitution.

### Relationship to Brazilian Cultural Heritage Framework
Law No. 7537 is part of Brazil's extensive legal framework for cultural heritage protection, which has its roots in the 1930s under the Getúlio Vargas administration. The designation of National Historical Heritage (Patrimônio Histórico Nacional) is the highest level of cultural heritage protection in Brazil, administered by IPHAN (Instituto do Patrimônio Histórico e Artístico Nacional). This designation typically requires that any modifications to protected sites be approved by heritage authorities and often makes the sites eligible for federal preservation funding. The 1986 designation of Cametá occurred during a period of expansion of heritage protection to previously underrepresented regions, particularly the Amazon and Northeast Brazil. The law represents an acknowledgment that significant Brazilian cultural heritage exists throughout the national territory, not just in the traditionally recognized colonial centers.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1986-09-16;7537)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=7537&ano=1986&data=16/09/1986&ato=74eETUE5UMBpWT0ac)
3. LexML Brasil