From stone masonry to emigrant’s mansions. Changes in vernacular architecture in central Portugal

Abstract

The research made for this purpose was realized to study the connection between the way of life, the climate, the geology and the vernacular architecture in the parish of Cernache do Bonjardim, municipality of Sertã, central region of Portugal, where various styles of rural houses can be found. The traditional rural home of this territory is constituted by stone walls, mostly made of shales or granite and has two floors: a lower floor with a place for animals or food storage, and an upper floor with the kitchen/living-room and bedrooms. Usually, both floors are joined by outside stairs. Each available space, for instance under these stairs, is used to keep animals like swine or hens, goats or rabbits, and to store food. Usually there is a piece of ground around the house used for the plantation of vegetables and fruit trees. This kind of home is adapted to the people's way of living and the climate, using local materials like stone or wood. In the 19th century there was an emigration wave to Brazil. When the people returned they wanted to show their acquired richness and (sometimes) culture to the neighbours in the village and constructed large houses of mansion-type, which didn't show the strong adaption to the environment anymore, but had other functionalities and a better comfort. As the transportation means improved, the building material was no more limited to the local offer. The emigration from the sixties of the 20th century until today brought new kinds of buildings. Their style was influenced from the country of emigration. There is no more relation to the local style of building. For the construction, modern materials like concrete, tile walls and roof tiles are used. The major conclusions of the research are that the vernacular architecture of the studied region has changed from houses adapted to the climate and the rural way of life, to larger and no more "typical" buildings. The main reasons for this change are the return of emigrants from abroad and its influence, the availability of new materials, the better education and income of the people, the wish to life more comfortably, and the change of the people´s way of life from farming to employment.