Case Studies  The Lisbon Castle parish and the urban regeneration process

1.The site and relationship to the city centre

The area of intervention denominated as “Castelo de São Jorge” or the parish of “ Santa Cruz do Castelo” is situated very close to the centre of Lisbon .

The parish is enclosed by the first ring of city walls and defined by two distinct parts: one making up the monumental ruins of different former castle buildings, the other being an adjacent residential district. Although they have been the targets of a common regeneration process, this case study lays more emphasis on examination of the residential part.

The mentioned proximity to the city centre does not mean that while strolling through the town we would obviously reach the castle parish and in particular the residential neighbourhood, which lives a sheltered life, away from the metropolitan world and protected by the city walls braving all challenges.

This is surely one factor that does not make it easier to approach and even to find the neighbourhood and to establish a natural easy link.

Another reason is without doubt a topographical one. To get from the city centre up to the castle hill, means overcoming a difference in altitude of around 70 metres along steep, meandering ways.

Naturally, the castle hill is the highest in Lisbon , which makes sense considering the morphological prerequisites of the first settlements.

There is, however, only one public transport link between the city centre and the area in discussion.

In medieval times, there were four accesses to the walled part of town. These resultant thoroughfares would then have taken an active part in the city's daily life. Today, there is only one entrance for the general public. Entering here, we are immediately drawn to the imposing presence of the monumental castle ruins opposite the residential area. This visual relationship is already established during our approach and excludes completely the adjacent neighbourhood that “vanishes” through its modesty and the lack of links between the two parts of the parish.

Only a few visitors “get lost” in the narrow streets of the neighbourhood. Walking across, they have to face the problem of finding their way out and returning to their initial reference point.

Tourism mainly takes place around and in the monumental castle buildings. Tourism is the only way the castle parish can take part in the town's economic life. Lisbon Castle is the most important historical attraction in Portugal , with around 1 600 000 visitors a year enchanted by the superb panoramic view of the city and the Tagus delta.

The Castle neighbourhood, as above-mentioned, is a mainly residential area, in general characterized by low storey buildings bearing small scale housing typologies. (e.g. Street: Rua do Espírito Santo: maximum 65m2, average 25m2, and minimum 11m2 per accommodation, Annex 1)

Table of contents    2. History and decline of the Castle parish