This article aims to demonstrate the importance of research in archives for history writing. It describes the journey undertaken to capture documents archived in various collections to report the history of Recife, based on the norms established by its City Council, in the Brazilian imperial period, codified as postures and destined to regulate the construction of the city and to organize urban activities, and presents this historical account emphasizing documentary research.
Keywords: historical archives; municipal postures; Brazilian Empire; Recife history.
