Cities were conspicuous in the Medieval landscape not only for being great concentrations of humanity, but also for their built-up areas.  Buildings served various functions: military, religious, political-administrative, economic, and residential.  Further, not all cities had the same buildings whilst, from neighbourhood to neighbourhood and from street to street, building characteristics could differ according to an assortment of factors including the financial and material resources available, the type of labour-force employed in the building, the technical know-how applied, the length of the construction period, and the interests of those commissioning the work. 

In moments of convulsion such as wars and rebellions, urban buildings could be destroyed requiring works of rebuilding and/or renovation that were not always easily affordable. In these present times of reconstruction, the Institute of Medieval Studies of NOVA-FCSH and the Municipality of Castelo de Vide have come together to organize the VII International Conference of the Middle Ages which will be held from 6th to 8th October 2022 under the theme: Construction and Reconstruction in Medieval Urban Europe.The Conference will comprise thematic panels and 4 plenary sessions featuring researchers invited by the organizing committee: 

  1. Santiago Macias (NOVA FCSH) – Duarte Darmas – Desenhador do rei e construtor da imagem do Portugal raiano  
  1. Philippe Bernardi (Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, LAMOP) – Construction et reconstruction au Moyen Âge: métier ou activité? 
  1. Juan Vicente Garcia-Marsilla (Universitat de València) – La construcción en el reino medieval de Valencia. Formas de gestión, técnicas y sistemas de abastecimiento de un sector económico puntero 
  1. Giovanna Bianchi (University of Siena) – Tuscany’s minor urban centers: the many histories of a ‘postcard landscape’ through the archaeology of architecture 

The Conference includes a full cultural program with guided tours, Conference Dinner, and a public Book Launch to present the published volume which brings together a selection of articles gathered from the VI International Conference of the Middle Ages and the Autumn School of October 2021.