IN-PERSON: Prague – Section B

Abstract

Throughout its history as a scientific discipline, History of Art in Portugal has analysed the artistic heritage through lenses – “micro” and/or “macro” – that have somehow conditioned the classification of what is, or is not, worthy of preservation. There will be sectors of our heritage condemned to a “micro” evaluation and thus less valued in the critical evaluation process of what should or can be preserved. This is evident, for example, in the decorative techniques used on the exterior of civil architecture that uses endogenous materials, particularly lime – such as mural painting or stucco – and are rooted in the south of Portugal (Alentejo and Algarve). Although they are located in cities classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, the majority of these buildings are not protected by any law or classification. The mutation of our country’s historic centres is unavoidable and, in some ways, desirable, because the crystallization of the urban nuclei results in the creation of artificial contexts, primarily conceived for tourism, with no regard for the needs of the local inhabitants themselves. The question is therefore whether modern society values this legacy considers it a “heritage” worthy of preservation, and identifies with it. It is a matter of determining what image we currently have of our historic centres in order to assert whether it corresponds to the identity of the entire region. This is one of the most demanding challenges that our historic centres face today, and its evolution is critical to their long-term survival. In this paper, we propose to examine two historic centers in Alentejo – Évora, and Elvas – both of which were designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites at different points in time, demonstrating the main similarities and differences between the two designations (1986 – 2012).