98
men ion
Ped o Vasco de Melo Ma ins
The pe sis ence o u ban o m: In e p e ing he p e-exis ences in he cons uc ion o he Po uguese ci y
The pe sis ence o u ban o m:
In e p e ing he p e-exis ences in he
cons uc ion o he Po uguese ci y
Au ho Ped o Vasco de Melo Ma ins
Supe iso Sé gio Pad ão Fe nandes (ULisboa),
Co-Supe iso Paulo Jo ge Ga cia Pe ei a (ULisboa)
Uni e si y Lisbon School o A chi ec u e, ULisboa (PT)
Ju y membe s P o esso Giuseppe S appa (La Sapienza),
P o esso Jo ge Al es Co eia (UMin
ho), P o esso Ca los Dias Coelho (ULisboa),
P o esso Ma ia Luísa T indade (UCoimb a),
P o esso Rogé io Viei a de Almeida (ULis
boa), P o esso Sé gio Pad ão Fe nandes
(ULisboa)
Theme
The ci y and he ela ionship be ween buil o ms and ime e-
mains an objec o ascina ion, one o he mos emblema ic, com-
plex and con adic o y human c ea ions, uni e sally seen as a cul-
u al pa adigm o eclec ic di e si y. A e he c isis caused by he
mode n mo emen , many au ho s sough o unde s and he u ban
objec , and especially he comp ehension o i s o mal genesis,
ha is, analyzing i in sea ch o he elemen s o ules ha lead o
i s p oduc ion. Howe e , in he o m o he ci y we ind he ma e i-
aliza ion o an in ini y o ac ions unde aken by mul iple indi iduals
and g oups, acco ding o cul u al and social adi ions, economic
and echnological o ces in successi e changes. We can he e o e
1. Pho og aph o he Roman Temple o É o a be o e 1870. Sou ce: A qui o His ó ico da
Uni e sidade de É o a, Ace o Túlio Espanca.
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conside he u ban o m as he esul o a cons an p ocess o con-
s uc ion, main enance and euse o coun less elemen s h ough
desi es, u opias, acciden s and cons ain s, which o e ime make
he ci y a he e ogeneous and mul i ace ed en i y, a dense and ec-
lec ic cul u al landscape de ined by a pa icula ly complex o e lap
o buil s a a, which bo h p ese e and des oy, which bo h en-
hance and diminish, which bo h add and obli e a e. I s scale, he
coun less ac o s and ac ions, and i s pe manen mu a ion, con-
ibu e o he cons uc ion o an objec wi h such complexi y ha
i will o e e emain i ually impossible o be comple ely known
o unde s ood.
The esea ch hus s udied he na u e o he u ban o m om he
s andpoin o i s e olu ion h ough ime, whe e di e en u ban el-
emen s, la ge and small, pa ially p ese e in hei o m hidden
aces and agmen s o he di e en o mal s ages ha he ci y
e olu ion once con ained.
P oblema ic
Gi en he undamen al ole o Time in he cons uc ion o he u ban
o m, i s s udy mus necessa ily imply a diach onic app oach o i s
e olu iona y p ocess, ha is, i s ans o ma ion p ocess. Howe -
e , he s udy o he e olu ion o he ci y’s o m, e en i ocused
only on i s spa ial componen , is aced no only wi h he di icul y
o analyzing an objec o eno mous complexi y and ime scale, bu
also and abo e all wi h he limi a ion c ea ed by he a ailabili y
and quali y o in o ma ion abou he pas ci y o m, which ends o
be incomple e, he mo e so he u he back he pe iod o analysis.
The knowledge a ailable abou he o m o he ci y pa icula ly in
ea lie pe iods is la gely and wi h a e excep ions inhe en ly punc-
ual and agmen a y.
The loss o in o ma ion a ises as a esul o he na u al me ab-
olism p ocess o ci ies in which p og ess o cons an mu a ion
condemns pas u ban o ms, obsole e, wo n ou by ime o sim-
ply anach onis ic, o be p og essi ely disman led and o ally o
pa ially eplaced. The p esen and u u e ci ies a e buil o e he
aces o i s pas , u ban e olu ion is almos always ca ied ou
h ough he des uc ion o de o ma ion o p e-exis ing s uc u es,
eplaced by new elemen s ha will in u n be eplaced. Howe e ,
no all pas o ms a e condemned o des uc ion, some o hese
o ms ha e an excep ional esis ance o ans o ma ion, due o
hei cons uc i e quali y, symbolic alue, o e en he lack o e-
sou ces o hei disman ling and eplacemen . These esis he
passage o ime, lea ing hei ma k on subsequen pe iods, being
successi ely eused and ans o med, o condi ioning and s uc-
u ing he implemen a ion o new o ms.
The ci y as a dynamic, mu able and cumula i e uni e se, cons an -
ly ein en s i sel h ough he successi e supe imposi ion, eplace-
men o ecomposi ion o i s p e-exis ences. A each momen in i s
his o y, he o m o he ci y p esen s a complex mix u e o pas and
p esen o ms ha is unique and un epea able. E en using in o ma-
ion p o ided by o he disciplines, namely His o y and A cheology,
he o mal da a ends o be agmen a y and incomple e, condi ion-
ing he eading o u ban e olu ion. On he o he hand, he insc u-
able he e ogenei y and complexi y o u ban o m can be pa icu-
la ly us a ing o hose who s udy i , pa icula ly gi en he human
appe i e o axonomies ha label, compa men alize and help us
unde s and he appa en chaos o he wo ld a ound us.
We a e hus aced wi h he undamen al p oblem: in mos cases
he in o ma ion necessa y o unde s and pas o ms is ei he sub-
s an ially ans o med o e en i e ie ably los . I he di e en u -
ban elemen s we e successi ely des oyed, buil o ans o med,
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Hypo hesis
I is, howe e , in he complex e olu iona y p ocess, in i sel spe-
ci ic o he u ban objec , ha he key o i s unde s anding lies.
The dense cons uc ion and euse o u ban s uc u es is compa-
able o a “palimpses ” 1, in which i s pages a e sys ema ically
eused as suppo o w i ing a new ex . The ci y also succes-
si ely e ases and ew i es i s s uc u es like wo ds in a palimp-
ses . And jus as he palimpses hides he agmen a y aces o
i s o iginal ex , e ealing a w i ing hidden benea h he appa en
su ace, he ci y also hides wi hin i sel he po en ial o e eal he
aces o i s pas , eco e able h ough he he meneu ical eading
o he u ban ab ic.
Gi en ha he cons an ans o ma ion o he u ban ab ic oc-
cu s a di e en a es o di e en elemen s, while some a e pa -
icula ly ulne able o daily ans o ma ion, o he s, such as he
u ban layou , he plo s uc u e, o ce ain buil s uc u es, a e
usually s able o pa icula ly esis an , ans o ming hemsel es
slowly only o e long pe iods o ime. These s uc u es, excep
o majo u ban es uc u ing e en s, end o p ese e hei o m,
o pa o i , a “memo y” o pas o ms h ough p ocesses o os-
siliza ion and u ban sedimen a ion. On he o he hand, ce ain
u ban elemen s in hei genesis obey he o maliza ion o a plan,
a concep o an idea (a Type), allowing he in e p e a ion and
unde s anding o hei o iginal o m e en i i has been los o is
subs an ially de o med, especially h ough a mo pho- ypological
compa ison wi h o he simila s uc u es (Pa allels).
The e o e, in he sea ch o deepening he unde s anding o he
complex na u e o he u ban o m, his esea ch conside s he
cen al hypo hesis ha his knowledge can only be achie ed
h ough he s udy u ban o m’s whole, global, e olu iona y p o-
cess, in compa ison and dialogue wi h o he simila o ms.
1 Gio annoni, Vecchie ci á ed edilizia nuo a.
The esea ch hus conside ed ha hypo he ically, despi e in in-
he en ly agmen ed and incomple e in o ma ion on his e olu-
iona y p ocess, a he meneu ic eading o he cu en u ban ab-
ic oge he wi h a ypo-mo phological compa ison o he emains
has he po en ial o e eal he pas shapes ha once de ined he
u ban layou , and h ough his analysis achie e a deepe mean-
ing on he na u e o he u ban o m.
In complemen he esea ch also ied o es he iabili y o un-
de s anding u ban o ms as a ypological objec , whose his o y
and a ious s uc u es, such as buildings, s ee s, layou s and
o he elemen s, sha e impo an common ea u es wi h o he
o ms inse ed in he same cul u al con ex . This hypo hesis al-
lows, in heo y, o apply exis ing knowledge abou ce ain as-
pec s o he e olu ion o ce ain s uc u es o o he s ha sha e
he same cul u al amewo k, hus comple ing hei e olu ion.
Reading he e olu ion o u ban o m acco ding o a common cul-
u al amewo k also allows us o a i m he hypo hesis ha i is
possible o e i y he exis ence o s uc u ing phenomena ha
a e ans e sal o e as and cul u es, as well as o he s ha , on
he o he hand, can be exclusi e o ce ain pe iods o spaces.
Tha is: some ac wi hin he scope o con o mi y o p e-exis -
ences, ha unc ion as a p e ious “no m”; while o he s ca y ou
a mo e adical p ocess o ans o ma ion, bu e en so, e ealing
aces o he p e-exis ences on which (and some imes agains
which) hey ac – seeking o c ea e a new no m.
Objec i es
A a ime when he unsus ainabili y o inde ini e and unlimi ed u -
ban expansion is appa en , he c ea ion o ins umen s ha al-
low us o s udy and unde s and o he exis ing ci y is inc easingly
impo an . These ins umen s make i possible o ca y ou mo e
conscious and in o med in e en ions, which, when conside ing
he ole o p e-exis ences in he cons uc ion o u ban o m, a e
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capable o pu ing he pas (his o y), p esen and u u e (in he
de elopmen o p ojec s) in o dialogue.
In he sea ch o an unde s anding o he u ban o m, his in es-
iga ion conside ed ha his can and should be achie ed mainly
h ough he s udy o i s comple e and global e olu iona y p ocess.
The e o e, he esea ch’s unde lying objec i e was o imp o e ou
unde s anding o he na u e o he u ban o m, conside ing ha
he u ban e olu ion o e ime esul s om a con inuous ac o
ab ic p oduc ion on p e-exis ences ha lea e hei ma k on sub-
sequen s uc u es ha a e imposed o adap ed o hem.
To achie e his he esea ch had as a main objec i e he o mal
econs uc ion o he e olu iona y p ocess o se e al Po uguese
ci ies, ha ing in mind he possibili y o p oducing compa a i e
eadings, ei he in ime (compa ing he di e en e olu ion phases
o a pa icula ci y), as well as in space (compa ing he layou o
di e en ci ies in a speci ic ime pe iod).
Complemen a ily he esea ch also had as a goal he c ea ion
o a me hodology ha allowed he e icien analysis o la ge
amoun s o in o ma ion, c ossing di e en sou ces, and om
hem acili a ed he econs uc ion o he main e olu ion phases
o each ci y.
Me hodology
The applied me hodology was based on a he meneu ic eading o
he ci y’s buil o ms, unde s anding ha deepe knowledge om
he ci y buil depends on s udying he o m o each indi idual pa ,
as well as unde s anding how each o hese au onomous pa s
a icula es i sel wi h he whole. This he meneu ic eading should
ex end beyond he cu en o m o he con empo a y ci y and i s
cons i uen pa s, o he s udy o i s e olu iona y p ocess h ough
successi e concep ual phases ha g adually con ibu e o gene -
a ing he cu en o m.
To o e come he incomple e na u e o he in o ma ion a aila-
ble o he pas u ban o ms he esea ch me hodologically ap-
p oached his p oblem om an induc i e pe spec i e, p esuppos-
ing he econs uc ion o he missing in o ma ion in he analysed
o ms based on he iden i ica ion o hei composi ional p inciples
(Type). These can only be achie ed om he di ec compa ison
simila shapes (Pa allels), ha is h ough a ypo-mo phological
compa ison. Only om he comp ehension o hese composi ion
ules can an induc i e hypo he ical econs uc ion be achie ed.
This pe spec i e ha s a s om he composi ion ules o a num-
be o pa icula cases o conclude a gene al ule, which can hus
be used o econs uc o he cases; o a ce ain ex en , is me hod-
ologically simila o he app oach ha s uc u alism p oposes o
unde s anding cul u al s uc u es. This app oach, ini ially applied
o Linguis ics, by Fe dinand de Saussu e (1857-1913), was la e
and heo e ically expanded o apply o he analysis o all cul u -
al p oduc ions (li e a y wo ks, musical o pe o ma i e wo ks, he
plas ic a s). Acco ding o he s uc u alis concep ion (which we
apply he e, bu limi ing ou sel es o i s i s , Saussu aian i e a ion)
all human cul u al p oduc ions a e amed o shaped by concep-
ual s uc u es, his being he case o example, o li e a y wo ks
ha can be s uc u ed acco ding o gen es. This concep ion based
on composi ional/s uc u ing p inciples – o ules o composi ion –
ollows, in ou iew and o ou pu poses in me hodological e ms,
he concep o Type o A chi ec u al Typology, co esponding o
he concep ual s uc u es ha , acco ding o s uc u alism, shape
c ea ion o wo ks in cul u e.
The me hodology we applied – al hough no exclusi ely – he e o e
uses he compa ison o buildings wi h ele an pa allels, models,
Types and S e eo ypes, which a e pa o he same cul u al con-
ex , as a undamen al s ep owa ds econs uc ing he e olu ion
o a chi ec u al and u ban o ms. The ypo-mo phological compa i-
son (which we conside he e as Saussu ian syn agmas) wi h o he
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o e ime, ha is, o a diach onic eading; he second axis, he
axis o simul aneous e en s, e e s o hei s udy a a speci ic
momen in ime, ha is, o a synch onic eading 2.
The esea ch used hese concep s as he me hodological basis
o he s udy o cons uc ed o ms, h ough he concep ual con-
s uc ion o a coo dina es ma ix, wi h wo axes X and Y, in which
he a iables o Time (Diach ony) and Space (Synch ony) a e ep-
esen ed. This analy ical de ice c ea ed an e ec i e ool o he
p oposed compa a i e eadings o be ca ied ou , on one axis,
e alua ing he e olu ion o he o ms o a ci y o e ime (Diach o-
ny); o on he o he axis, compa ing a ious u ban o ms om a
speci ic pe iod (Synch ony)
The e o e, compa a i e eadings se e a p i ileged ole in he
esea ch, as a undamen al elemen o he analysis and econ-
2 Wa e man, “Fe dinand de Saussu e-Fo e unne o Mode n S uc u alism” The Mode n Lan-
guage Jou nal, 307-309.
con ex s hus assumed i al impo ance in he analysis, no only
because i allows missing in o ma ion o be econs uc ed, bu also
because i is possible h ough a compa a i e eading (wi h he pa -
adigm a hand) o highligh common o singula cha ac e is ics in
he de elopmen o o ms.
S uc u alism also o e ed o his esea ch ano he ele an
pe spec i e h ough he use o wo undamen al concep s in lin-
guis ic analysis: Diach ony and Synch ony. Wi hin he scope o
linguis ics, Diach ony conside s he s udy o language h ough
ime, i s his o y, ha is, i s p og essi e ans o ma ion o e olu-
ion, while Synch ony ocuses on he s udy o he “closed” lan-
guage a a gi en momen , wi hou conside ing he his o ical ea-
sons behind i s s uc u e. These wo concep s a e ans o med
in o wo Ca esian axes: he axis o successi e e en s and he
axis o simul aneous e en s. The i s axis, he axis o succes-
si e e en s, e e s o he s udy o he e olu ion o a language
2. Recons uc ion o Diocle ian’s palace in Spli . Sou ce: Adam Ca uso, ETH Zü ich S udio,
h ps://ca uso.a ch.e hz.ch/p ojec /202.
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3. Adap a ion o he S uc u alis app oach o u ban e olu ion. Sou ce: Au ho
s uc ion o pas o ms, h ough he compa ison be ween he
pas and he p esen , o h ough he compa ison be ween simi-
la , comple e and incomple e o ms exis ing in di e en con ex s
(e.g. di e en ci ies).
On he o he hand, hese me hodologies no only o e undamen-
al elemen s o econs uc ing incomple e o ms, bu also allow
o a p i ileged assessmen o he ans o ma ions and pe ma-
nence o di e en u ban spaces o buil o ms acco ding o a glob-
al pe spec i e ha conside s he u ban o m as a whole and he o
i s e olu ion in ime and space.
Delimi a ion o he Theme in Space and Time
In o de o achie e he p oposed objec i es he esea ch ealized
a comp ehensi e eading o h ee u ban cen e s, unde s anding
hem as pa o a as in e connec ed sys em, which would allow,
h ough compa a i e eadings, o e alua e hei e olu ion, mu a-
ion and de elopmen , unde s anding which singula o common
ea u es cha ac e ized hei e olu ion. In o he wo ds, an analysis
wen beyond he limi s and pa icula i ies o each u ban agglome -
a ion, o a global pe spec i e o se e al Po uguese ci ies h ough
a ious his o ical pe iods.
The esea ch hus ocused on he ci ies o B aga, Coimb a and
É o a, conside ing ha hese ci ies, o compa able scale and im-
po ance, a e ep esen a i e o bo h a comp ehensi e geog aphical
dis ibu ion be ween he No h, Cen e and Sou h o he coun y, as
well as a comp ehensi e ch onological dis ibu ion om a p e- oman
(p e-u ban) pe iod o he p esen day, making hem ideal o compa -
a i e eadings.
In o de o acili a e he compa a i e eadings he ch onological e o-
lu ion o hese ci ies was condensed in o 14 dis inc ime in e als:
Phase 1 - be o e he 1s cen u y BC; Phase 2 - be ween he 1s
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cen u y BC and he 1s cen u y; Phase 3 - be ween he 1s and 4 h
cen u ies; Phase 4 - be ween he 4 h and 8 h cen u ies; Phase 5 -
be ween he 8 h and 12 h cen u ies; Phase 6 - 12 h cen u y; Phase 7
- 13 h cen u y; Phase 8 - 14 h cen u y; Phase 9 - 15 h cen u y; Phase
10 - 16 h cen u y; Phase 11 - 17 h cen u y; Phase 12 - 18 h cen u y;
Phase 13 - 19 h cen u y; and Phase 14 - 20 h cen u y.
Gi en he lesse in o ma ion, phases 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 condense
longe ime in e als, om phase 6 onwa ds he a ailabili y o in o -
ma ion allows each phase o span a pe iod o a cen u y. The ime
scale was aken as an in e al o a cen u y o he phases ha all
be ween phase 6 and phase 14, since his in e al allows o ela i e
co e age and, abo e all, es ablishes a common uni o ime as well
as also compa able o c i e ia consensually es ablished by His o y.
Fo he o mal analysis and econs uc ion o he u ban layou s in
he di e en ime pe iods, he esea ch conside ed an a ea co e-
sponding o a squa e o 2000 by 2000 me e s, ha is, 400 hec a es.
The de e mina ion o his analysis su ace, ela i ely a bi a y, esul s
mainly om he obse a ion ha i would ep esen he as majo i y
o in e en ions ca ied ou o e he cen u ies, wi h he excep ion, o
cou se, o he explosion o u ban pe ime e s ha occu ed mainly in
he second hal o he 20 h cen u y. On he o he hand, he choice o
his a ea also esponds o de e mina ions o scale and eadabili y o
he wo k, seeking o ensu e ha he in o ma ion collec ed is unde -
s ood - and seen - in he con ex and limi s imposed by he o ma
de e mined o a doc o al disse a ion.
The a ious plans o he di e en ci ies ep esen he same u ban
componen s ( opog aphy, u ban layou , common buildings and sin-
gula buildings), using common design c i e ia ( he same o ien a ion,
he same scale, line hickness, e c..), hus allowing compa ison di-
ec ly be ween he case s udies. Gi en he ocus o he esea ch is
on he e olu ion and dynamic pe cep ion o u ban o m, each scheme
B aga
Coimb a
É o a
4. Case S udy dis ibu ion. Sou ce: Au ho
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ep esen s a ime in e al, and no a s a ic momen in he ci y’s e o-
lu ion, eco ding he ans o ma ions ha occu ed in each pe iod.
Thus, o ep esen he dynamism o he u ban e olu ion elemen s a e
ep esen ed using h ee di e en colo codes: consolida ed s able
elemen s in black; elemen s in cons uc ion in ed; and abandoned in
dissolu ion o demoli ion elemen s in g ay.
S uc u e and O ganiza ion o he Disse a ion
The wo k was s uc u ed in o h ee essen ial momen s: “Reading
he o m” desc ibing he me hodologies and sou ces necessa y
o he analysis; he “E olu ion o o m”, whe e he me hodologies
p e iously desc ibed a e applied in he analysis o h ee ci ies;
and he “Final conside a ions” whe e he main conclusions o he
esea ch a e p esen ed.
The i s momen , “Reading he o m”, ocuses on he di icul y o
mo phological analysis o sedimen ed u ban ab ics, gi en hei
ex eme complexi y and o e lap. Thus, in a i s momen , he
di e en pe spec i es published o da e and con aining a ious
in e p e a ions ela ed o he heme o his disse a ion a e ad-
d essed, highligh ing hei me hodologies and con ibu ions. F om
he pe spec i es p esen ed by di e en disciplines, he esea ch
p oposed eading he u ban o m and in e p e ing he agmen a y
e idence o i s pas o ms h ough h ee undamen al sou ces o
in o ma ion: The “his o ical amewo k”, he “analysis o he u ban
ab ic” and he “ ypo-mo phological compa ison”. The “his o ical
amewo k” p esupposes he collec ion o all exis ing in o ma ion
on he u ban o ms h ough he su ey o ex ual desc ip ions,
g aphic ep esen a ions as well as he mos ecen heo e i-
cal-p ac ical esea ch wo ks (such as a cheology). These pieces
o in o ma ion o e undamen al pe spec i es on he buil s uc-
u es, ei he h ough hei eco ding a key momen s o h ough
hei subsequen his o ical-a chaeological in e p e a ion by o he 5. Coimb a be ween he 8 h and 12 h cen u ies. Sou ce: Au ho
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a ela i ely unique e olu ion. I in B aga he ci y’s de elopmen
is cha ac e ized by linea g ow h along he s ee s, in Coimb a
we see g ow h esul ing om he densi ica ion and u aliza ion
o Al a and Baixa, while in É o a we wi ness a endency owa ds
he sys ema ic addi ion o new planned u ban spaces. Thus, he
ini ial p emise ha also sough o unde s and u ban o ms om
a ype-mo phological poin o iew has a limi ed applica ion - bu
necessa ily a emp ed o con on hypo heses - in he case s ud-
ies analyzed.
In he las momen , “ inal conside a ions”, mo e han a global syn-
hesis o he esea ch, i es ablishes a e lec i e hinking on he
heme o he esis ance o u ban o ms: wha a e he main ques-
ions ha he esea ch managed o answe , and o wha ex en
o he ques ions emained unknown. This inal chap e also p e-
sen ed he main con ibu ions o his wo k o unde s anding o
he e olu ion o buil o ms in he analyzed ci ies as well as in he
b oade pe spec i e o he Po uguese ci y. Complemen a y his
chap e also poin s ou u u e di ec ions o he de elopmen o
new lines o esea ch opened by his wo k.
Key esul s / Final conside a ions
Gi en he complexi y and singula i y o u ban o ms, he ques ion
ha a ose a he s a o he esea ch was whe he i was possible
o ca y ou an ope a ional eading o he comple e p og essi e
ans o ma ion and e olu ion o a speci ic u ban con ex , p esup-
posing an ambi ious analysis ha would enable he econs uc ion
o he e olu iona y p ocess. The ini ial answe o his undamen al
ques ion is posi i e, as he applica ion o he p oposed me hod-
ology allowed o he e ec i e econs uc ion o he comple e o -
mal e olu ion o h ee ci ies, om hei ini ial hypo he ical momen
o he p esen day, egis e ing in 14 phases e e y no able ans-
o ma ion o he shape o hei speci ic componen s (buildings,
s ee s, ci y walls, e c…).
au ho s. The “analysis o he u ban ab ic” co esponds o he sys-
emic disassembly o he ab ic in o ou elemen a y sys ems: lay-
ou , pa cel, buildings and opog aphy. The complexi y o he o ms
is hus condensed in o hei undamen al aspec s, meaning ha
s uc u es and p ocesses which o he wise would be dilu ed o e
he complexi y o he u ban ab ic a e ins ead clea ly p esen ed,
making hem simple , mo e pe cep ible and mo e e iden . Finaly
he “ ypo-mo phological compa ison” add esses he p oblem o
heo e ical econs uc ion o pas o ms. These a e in mos cas-
es pa ially p ese ed. Howe e , h ough compa ison wi h simi-
la s uc u es, i is possible o in e p e o es o e he o iginal na-
u e o he incomple e elemen s o he cases unde s udy. This
compa ison is ca ied ou h ough he elabo a ion o a schema ic
simpli ica ion o he o m, ha is, es ablishing a heo e ical model
based on cons uc ed ypologies ha syn hesizes and compa -
men alizes he mo phological complexi ies o u ban s uc u es
in o hei o mal in a ian s.
The second momen , dedica ed o he “E olu ion o o m” ad-
d esses, based on he me hodologies and sou ces o in o ma ion
es ablished in he p e ious chap e , he e olu ion o he h ee cho-
sen Po uguese ci ies, om he p e oman pe iod o he p esen .
The analysis o hese ci ies was ca ied ou in a ela i ely au on-
omous way o each ci y, always ha ing as i s inal objec i e he
possibili y o ca ying ou ans e sal eadings, be ween di e en
spaces and di e en imes. The u ban objec was also conside ed
as ha ing a ypological po en ial, ha om a compa a i e eading
could esul in he elimina ion o gaps in he in o ma ion on i s
his o ical p ocess, using ela i ely well-documen ed pe iods in a
con ex , o explain o he con ex s o which in o ma ion was ex-
cessi ely agmen a y o non-exis en . Howe e , he inal eading
o he documen demons a es he limi a ions o his ision, as
he compa ison o he de elopmen o he ci ies o B aga, Coim-
b a and É o a demons a ed how each o he h ee cen e s has
12-2025
www.du .upc.edu
The Fi h Manuel de Solà-Mo ales Eu opean P ize 2025
