Demolish or repair: Portuguese legal norms for ruined buildings (15th-19th centuries)

Abstract

This article addresses the legal norms established by Portuguese public authorities to protect against the imminent danger caused by ruined buildings between the Late-Middle Ages and the Classical Liberalism. It uses two types of documentary sources: for the earlier periods the research is based on legal practices inserted in the municipal councils’ records; for the recent periods it is used the legal norms established in the municipal regulations, framed by the Kingdom legislation. The exam of legal norms shows that the municipal councils have always applied the same preventive rule: the obligation of ruined buildings being demolished or repaired. Therefore, these norms constitute a unique and significant case of persistence within the Portuguese legal system for construction.