A fabricação da cidade: a Lisboa Quinhentista segundo Damião de Góis e Francisco de Holanda

Abstract

This study has as theme the “factory” from Lisboa city in two complementary aspects. One is the physical city and another is the represented city in two sixteenth-century literary works: Descrição da Cidade de Lisboa (1554), from Damião de Góis, and Da Fábrica que falece à cidade de Lisboa (1571), from Francisco de Holanda. The present study show the influence from Portuguese maritime expansion, as described in the above-mentioned literary works as well as the changes occurred at that time, which established the urban space and the shape how these authors disclosed the city for us. Other events occurred in the Europe during 15th and 16th centuries, such as Renaissance and Catholic Reformation, also has had an influence on the city description. Lisboa, while head of this empire, represented a very rich example of how a number of actors can affect and mold the urban space to take account different interests. Likewise, the analysis from these literary works enables to notice the city like an intention, a panegyric speech and a Renascence demand, while component that reflects the key aspects, which conducted the sixteenth-century society. It is thus important that city must be understood as a valuable documental source, whose study enable us the recognition of the characteristics from society at different historical moments.