Intervenções modernas de nobrecimento urbanístico e arquitectónico: O traçamento da Rua do Loureiro no Porto

Abstract

This dissertation proposes to analyse, interpret and deeply reflect about the urban and architectural transformations in the city, taking Rua do Loureiro as a case study - a street that ever since its tracing, during the 16th century, played an important role in the urban composition of Porto. Having the nuns of the extinct and demolished Mosteiro de S. Bento da Avé Maria as religious promoters, this street not only maximised the use of a southern property for their own profit, but also contributed to the "ennoblement" of the city. By means of drawing as the principal tool of analysis, interpretation and summation, our objective is understanding the project of the street and the process of consolidation over the subsequent centuries. As we understand this project under four main moments of interventions, this document is organized into four chapters, adopting a chronological order. The first part considers the document "Auto que se fez da repartyção amtre a cydade e abadessa e Mosteiro de Sam Bento das Freyras" (1547) as a starting point and from this proposes to clarify the boundaries between the properties belonging to the monastery and the city - meaningful to the understanding of the next chapter. Two documents are considered of extreme relevance for the second part - "As freiras do mosteiro de S. Bento da Avé Maria emprazam uma courela junto ao convento a vários povoadores para estes aí fazerem casas" (1565) and "Acto de posse de uma courela junto ao mosteiro de S. Bento da Avé Maria emprazado pelas freiras do mesmo mosteiro a vários povoadores para estes nela fazerem casas" (1565) - and using drawing as a mean of interpretation, tries to comprehend how the plots of lands belonging to the property of the nuns were made, respecting composition rules. The third part focuses in the 18th century and tries to discern the urban relationships established by the Mosteiro de S. Bento de Avé Maria (after the 1783 conflagration which made mandatory the reconstruction of the whole main façade) and the urban front of dwellings meanwhile already consolidated. Finally, the fourth part enunciates transformations of great impact to Rua do Loureiro which were the result of the growing necessity of a railway station - the S. Bento railway station - in the city centre, at a high elevation, and lately, the opening of an avenue that would establish a connection with the Luis I bridge - the "Avenida da Ponte".