Multifunctional Landscapes in Central Mainland Portugal: The Royal Administration of Almeirim and Sustainable Land Use from the Fourteenth to the Sixteenth Century

Abstract

This article addresses two hundred years of administration and land use around Almeirim, a city located on the left bank of the River Tagus near Santarém. Through legislation and other administrative documents, it reconstructs the historical progression of different kinds of land use and generates maps showing the approximate limits of the spatial scope of regulation. Three main conclusions may be drawn: first, the dynamics of the royal forests of Almeirim cannot be understood without considering the dynamics of the surrounding areas; second, the Portuguese Crown sought to conserve resources by generating multifunctional and organised spaces so as to strike a balance between the socio-economic activities carried out by the Crown, secular and religious estates, and local inhabitants; third, the Crown (among other agents) succeeded in preserving the multifunctional landscape for which it issued restrictive legislation and established a permanent administrative staff for its enforcement on the ground.