A cidade romana de Viseu. A memória do passado como suporte da cidade do presente

Abstract

Using drawing as a method of investigation this thesis proposes to analise the city of Viseu, Portugal, during the roman ocupation, from the II/I century BC to the IV/V AD. The fist part contextualizes the space and time of study whilst describes generally the main changes that occurred in the area where Viseu sits. The understanding of Lusitania, the roman region that Viseu was a part of, its boundaries and relationships allowed for a better analisys of other cities and examples that were certainly a influence. The second part, considered the more pratical part of this work, aims to study the city and its evolution, analising and reconstructing what is supposed to be the its old blueprint. To do so the roman treatises about urban planning and cities, such as Vitruvio, were used in combination with other investigations about the roman city of Viseu and the archeological excavations that took place in the city. This creates several layers of information that are unified using tracing, creating a unique work method. The exceptional location of Viseu, protected by mountains with a good supply of water and understanding of its surroundings creates the ideal conditions for humans to settle. The city was deconstructed to the ground and then rebuilt, brick by brick, until it was a whole again. The type of information obtained allowed to answer as many questions as the ones that were made. The last, third, part the roman legacy is analised, aware that every generation leaves a mark in the place it inhabits, shapping the it and the way future generations use it. It is, therefore, possible to outline similarites and in some cases coincidences, between the several layers of use of a space. Studying the public buildings that followed the roman era and the heritage on the medieval city we ought to make clear the idea of continuity in the plan of the city.