Historic Gardens of Lisbon - A Landscape Heritage Inventory Model

Transcription

1 Historic Gardens of Lisbon - A Landscape Heritage Inventory Model SOARES, ANA LUÍSA Research Network in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology (INBIO), Portugal TALHÉ AZAMBUJA, SÓNIA Research Network in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology (INBIO), Portugal MARQUES, TERESA Research Network in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology (INBIO), Portugal SILVA, ANA ISABEL Research Network in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology (INBIO), Portugal AZAMBUJA, JOÃO 'Nova' School of Business and Economics, 'Nova' University of Lisbon, Portugal ARSÉNIO, PEDRO Integrated Center of Agronomy, Food, Environment and Landscape (LEAF) Prof. Baeta Neves Applied Ecology Center, (CEABN) Institute of Agronomy, Technical University of Lisbon Research Network in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology (INBIO), Portugal Lisbon landscape heritage relational database historic and artistic values touristic value The Project LX Gardens - Lisbon s Historic Gardens and Parks: Study and Landscape Heritage Inventory aims to undertake an historical, artistic and botanical study on 60 Lisbon s gardens and parks, from the 18th century up to the 1960 s. One of the aims of the project is to define the criteria that should support the classification of Landscape Heritage and the layout of a relational database: LX Gardens Database. This database enables the creation of a network of information and the establishment of relationships between the various parameters, namely between gardens and the city s development or between the history of gardens and plants introduction dates. The data collected and the connections established led to the interpretation of results such as the gardens role in urban ecology, city s sustainability and aesthetics. PROJECT GOALS The idea of a garden is one of the most representative themes of human culture from the perspective of an ideal harmony between man and nature. Among the benefits that gardens and parks offer, the most relevant for this research project are their social, historic and aesthetic qualities which allow them to be listed as cultural heritage assets. The majority of Lisbon historic gardens of higher interest, such as garden of Estrela (Figure 1), garden of Príncipe Real (Figure 2) and garden of S. Pedro de Alcântara (Figure 3), are legally protected not because of their intrinsic historic and artistic values but simply because they are inserted within conservation areas or because they are associated with historic buildings of high architectural interest. From the list of 60 Lisbon Gardens and Parks under study only 27 have legal protection, 23 due to their proximity to an historic building. Therefore, one of the goals of this project is to contribute to the definition of principles and procedures for the identification, grading and protection of gardens based on their historic and artistic value and to their presentation as an invaluable part of Lisbon cultural heritage with a strong touristic potential. According to the International Cultural Tourism Charter (ICOMOS, 1999) at a time of increasing globalization, the protection, conservation, interpretation and presentation of the heritage and cultural diversity of any particular place or region is an important challenge for people everywhere. This project intends, then, to define the criteria that should support the classification of the Landscape Heritage of Lisbon and the layout of a relational database - LX Gardens Database - that assembles and relates information of different kinds - historic, artistic, botanical, environmental, social, etc. Therefore, it will further current knowledge on Lisbon landscape heritage and will contribute to its legal protection and enhancement as well as to the promotion of cultural tourism. ECLAS 2014 LANDSCAPE: A PLACE OF CULTIVATION 413

2 FIGURE 1. Garden of Estrela FIGURE 2. Garden of Príncipe Real FIGURE 3 Garden of S. Pedro de Alcântara PROJECT STRUCTURE The project, which started in 2011 and is expected to end in 2014 was developed according to the following steps: 1) Literature review of Inventory Models used in similar research both nationally (IGESPAR, IHRU, IPA, Inventário de Sítios de Interesse - Arte Paisagista do Norte de Portugal, etc.) and internationally (National Trust, English Heritage, Parks & Gardens U.K., ICOMOS, Parcs et Jardins de France, U.S. National Park Service, Catálogo General del Patrimonio Histórico Andaluz, Catena - Digital Archive of Historic Gardens and Landscapes, etc.). This research allowed us to define the criteria for a new Inventory Model to be used in this landscape heritage study; 2) Devising of an Inventory Model for Landscape Heritage and creation of the relational LX Gardens Database: The Landscape Heritage Inventory Model was structured taking into consideration the following themes: history, history of art, landscape architecture, architecture, urban ecology, botany, tourism and the social sciences, among others, which are subdivided into various items under study. Its design provides all the data fields required to develop the database, in order to assemble and manage the information collected in subsequent stages of the project. The relational LX Gardens Datebase (Table 1) enabled the creation and establishment of relationships between the various entities under study; 3) Validation of the database by testing it with the historic, artistic and botanical data collected on archival research and fieldwork surveys, carried out in the 60 selected gardens and parks in Lisbon; 4) Proposal of a grading classification for the LX GARDENS according to the findings of the historic, artistic and botanical investigation. This grading will contribute to the protection, conservation, upgrading and dissemination of gardens; 5) Analysis of the LX GARDENS in the context of urban ecology and their relationship with the historic development of Lisbon; 6) Dissemination of the research results to the general public by means of a book and on the Web; 7) Promotion of the LX GARDENS project, through thematic tourist visits and environmental and artistic educational activities. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS This project had, so far, increased the knowledge on Lisbon historic landscape heritage. By assembling and relating historical and botanical data and by formulating artistic 414 ECLAS 2014 LANDSCAPE: A PLACE OF CULTIVATION

3 TABLE 1. Relational LX Gardens Database (LXGardens Project ) judgments, it provides a quite comprehensive picture of every garden under study, and relates them with the city at the periods they were built as well as at the present time. The creation of a digital database available on the Web, will contribute to the dissemination of the information, and consequently, to gardens protection and enhancement through legal mechanisms. It also will highlight the role of historic landscapes as part of the Cultural Heritage, with significant recreational, artistic, historic, social and touristic values. Finally, the relational database has revealed connections between the history of gardens and the periods of plant species introduction. Similarly, the relationships established through the database led to the interpretation of results such as the role of gardens in urban ecology, their contribution to the city s economic, environmental and social sustainability and the significance of gardens as works of art improving the city s aesthetic interest. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors would like to thank the financial support of Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT PTDC/EAT- EAT/110826/2009) during the development of this study and the Lisbon Municipality for their support. REFERENCES Andresen, T. and Marques, T. P. (2001), Jardins Históricos do Porto (Lisboa: Edições Inapa). Araújo, I. A. (1962), Arte Paisagista e Arte dos Jardins em Portugal (Lisboa: Direcção Geral dos Serviços de Urbanização). Azambuja, S. T. (2002), Real Estate of Necessidades: Trendsetter in the Art of Garden Design in 19th-Century Portugal, In Castel-Branco, C., (Ed.), Necessidades: The Gardens and Enclosure. (Lisboa: Livros Horizonte), Carapinha, Aurora (1985) Inventário da Arte Paisagista em Portugal. Provas de Aptidão Pedagógica e Capacidade Cientifica apresentadas ao Departamento de Planeamento Biofísico e Paisagístico da Universidade de Évora. Évora: s.n. Catálogo General del Patrimonio Histórico Andaluz [website], < juntadeandalucia.es/cultura/web/areas/bbcc/catalogo>, accessed 17 October 2012 Catena - Digital Archive of Historic Gardens and Landscapes [website], < English Heritage [website], < parks-and-gardens/>, França, J. A. (2008), Lisboa - História Física e Moral (Lisboa: Livros Horizonte). ICOMOS (1982), The Florence Charter-Historic Gardens. Adopted by ICOMOS in December ICOMOS (1999), International Cultural Tourism Charter. Adopted by ICOMOS at the 12th General Assembly in Mexico, October ICOMOS [website], < IGESPAR [website], < >, IHRU Inventário do Património Arquitectónico. [em linha]. Lisboa: Instituto da Habitação e da Reabilitação Urbana (IHRU), [Consult. 8 Nov.2009]. ECLAS 2014 LANDSCAPE: A PLACE OF CULTIVATION 415

4 Instituto Geográfico e Cadastral [ed.] (1982) Cartografia portuguesa: do Marquês de Pombal a Filipe Folque, Lisboa: Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian. Inventário de Sítios de Interesse - Arte Paisagista do Norte de Portugal [website], < IPA [website], < aspx?id=9867>, National Park Service [website], < accessed 17 October 2012 National Trust [website], < accessed 17 October 2012 Parcs et Jardins de France [website], < Parks & Gardens U.K. [website], < Ribeiro, Luís Paulo Faria (1993) Quintas do concelho de Lisboa. Inventário, caracterização e salvaguarda. Provas de Aptidão Pedagógica e Capacidade Cientifica apresentadas ao Instituto Superior de Agronomia da Universidade Técnica de Lisboa. Lisboa: s.n. (texto policopiado). Soares, Ana Luísa; Castel-Branco, Cristina (2007) As árvores da cidade de Lisboa. In SILVA, José Sande (coord.) Florestas e Sociedade. Uma história em comum. Colecção Árvores e Florestas de Portugal, n.º 7. Lisboa: Público, pp ECLAS 2014 LANDSCAPE: A PLACE OF CULTIVATION

5 BOOK OF PROCEEDINGS EDITED BY: ISABEL MARTINHO DA SILVA, TERESA PORTELA MARQUES, AND GONÇALO ANDRADE