ABSTRACT
Rehabilitation actions in the urban center with relevant patrimonial value must be subordinated to its identity and original historical characteristics. Our purpose consists of a new approach for studying Chaves architecture and urban morphology in the Northeast of inland Portugal, focusing on medieval, Renaissance, and 17th century periods. According to the figure-ground theory of urban design, the methodology used included analyzing historic urban elements and historical cartography. Chaves, a typically fortified system in the north Portuguese-Spanish border, was intensively influenced by the Roman presence, and by the 12th century, it was surrounded by new defensive walls. Original structures represent an internal orthogonal planning. The urban settlement mesh of quadrangular tendency prevails until the radial-concentric renaissance model has appeared. This city was built, taking into account the features of the implantation site, was dominated by the medieval structures, and we can verify the regularity of the medieval city, with urban plots with the same dimensions. The Renaissance morphologic characteristics result from an erudite culture of a rational base. Chaves retains its original configuration, dated from the War of Restauration of Portugal, in the 17th century, such as the downtown surrounded by polygonal fortifications with powerful bastions, which interfered with the urban structure. The present analysis can create safe recommendations to assist urban planners in regenerating Chaves historical center.
