A regulamentação dos mesteres no Porto medieval, segundo as determinações municipais (séculos XIV-XVI)

Abstract

One of the outputs of the MedCrafts project is the elaboration of a database with rigorous and meticulous information concerning medieval crafts identified in both municipal and royal legislation between the 14th and 16th centuries. This database served as groundwork for this paper. The research was oriented to a particular city - Oporto - and to the aspects targeted in the regulation of the city's crafts sectors. In a first stage, the regulated sectors will be identified, specifying the targeted crafts and craftsmen. As the focus of this paper is the analysis and characterization of the object of regulation, we will try to assess which are the common and differentiating topics of the referred legislation according to the sectors of activity and the regulated aspects, namely, working hours, workplaces, quality of materials, ways of producing, prices, progression within the crafts, lists of products, competition, among others. This work will allow, in a later stage, to compare the conclusions reached with other cities in the kingdom, also under study in the MedCraft project.