Daniel Alves, Using a GIS to reconstruct the 19th century Lisbon's parishes

USING A GIS TO RECONSTRUCT THE NINETEENTH CENTURY

LISBON PARISHES

Daniel AlvesFaculdade de Ciências Sociais e HumanasUniversidade Nova de LisboaPortugal

AHC – Amsterdan – September, 2005

http://atlas.fcsh.unl.pt/

Introduction

• Administrative reforms in Lisbon in XIXth and XXth century

• Sources and methodology used on the work

• Lisbon parishes in three distinct moments: 1826, 1864 e 1909

Administrative Reforms

•First half of the XIXth century – Municipality with 70 parishes– Area close to 532 km2

•September 11, 1852– Municipality with 34 parishes– Area close to 13 km2 – Urban limits only

Administrative Reforms

• July 18, 1885– Municipality with 44 parishes– Area close to 85km2

•July 22, 1886–Municipality with 46 parishes

•September 26, 1895– Municipality with 44 parishes– Actual limits

Administrative Reforms

•February 7, 1959– New parishes were created– Significant changes in the

limits of those that remained

– Parishes with the limits we know today

Consequences

•XIXth century:– Changes on municipality limits– Parishes’ limits were stable

– Drawing the municipality limits presents no major problems

Consequences

– Changes on parishes’ limits– No correspondence between

the old and the new circumscriptions

– Drawing the old parishes’ limits is a problematic task

•XXth century:

1885

2005

Sources and Methodology

• Sources:– Cartography of the XIXth century

•Military Archive•National Library

– Old guidebooks– Two digital charts (vectorial)

•Portugal’s mainland parishes (1991)•Streets of Lisbon (1991)

•Identify the ancient streets that served as limits between parishes

•Select the corresponding streets in the actual digital road map

– Comparison between old and actual cartography

Sources and Methodology

•Methodology:

– Extensions•XTools and Geoprocessing Wizard

– Drawing the polygons•Selected streets•Lines representing other limits not identify with actual streets

Sources and Methodology

•Methodology:

•Source:– Carta Topográfica da Cidade de

Lisboa, e Bairro de Belém..., c.1820

– Military Archive

•Parishes’ limits valid between 1780 and 1852

Lisbon in the first half of the XIXth century

•Source:– Frederico Perry Vidal, Planta

da cidade de Lisboa contendo o aterro da Bôa Vista..., 1864

– National Library

•Parishes’ limits valid between 1852 and 1885

Lisbon in mid XIXth century

•Source:– Caldeira Pires, Planta completa

da cidade até ao limite da sua circunvalação, 1909.

– National Library

Lisbon by the end of the XIXth century

•Parishes’ limits valid between 1885 and 1910

Thank you!