ABSTRACT
The first firm evidence for building regulatory control in Lisbon goes back to the end of the thirteenth century. With Islamic origins, the Portuguese official almotacé had responsibilities of control over the market, urban cleaning, and building activity. To resolve building disputes between neighbours the Lisbon’s almotacé used local neighbourly and customary rules. In this chapter these customary regulations relating to private building activity are contextualized, presented, and analyzed for mid-fifteenth century Lisbon. Also highlighted are their later adaptation as general law for the whole kingdom from 1521, which remained active until the mid-nineteenth century.
