Thinking how the Imperial City has converted itself into a mirror of modernity and cosmopolitism for the society of Rio de Janeiro, during the late nineteenth century and the early twentieth century, demands an analisis of this city`s representations in the mass media and literature. In order to do that, this research will rely on primary sources of information, news articles published in newspapers and magazines between the years of 1898 e 1906 (Republican government of Campos Sales and Rodrigues Alves, time when the urban reform of the city of Rio de Janeiro took place), as well as the novels Vida e Morte de M. J. Gonzaga de Sá (1919), by Lima Barreto, and A profissão de Jacques Pedreira (1913), by João do Rio. During this analisis, it becomes clear how, during that period of time, through both literary and journalistic narratives, the imaginary, the memory and the identity of the city of Petrópolis was built. According to this main theme, history, press and literature play the role of sewers of the imagetic fabric that is Peter`s city. Therefore, the main purpose of this research is to reach an overview of the modern, utopic and racionaly planned city of Petrópolis, based on multiple readings of it.