Megalithic Shelters in Vale de Poldros, Portugal. The Cardenhas

Abstract

Vale de Poldros is a mountain settlement in the north of Portugal where one finds a type of constructions – the cardenhas – whose origins go back to the megalithic culture. Similar architecture exists in other countries, predominantly located in mountainous areas, related to herding activities. Most cardenhas have two floors. In the upper floor slept the cowherds, while in the lower floor were kept the oxen in the summer months. The cardenhas have a square plan, and inside there is a single space in each floor, with no partitions. The walls are made out of dry stone, covered by a false cupola which was built by means of the superposition of stone slabs laid out in successive circles with a diminishing diameter, which progressively closed the space. Their construction incorporated sophisticated structural knowledge, which is also perceive in other constructive details. The pavement of the upper floor was made up of big stone slabs, supported by a structure of pillars and beams also of stone. The force transmitted by the grand masses of stone emphasize the formal beauty of the structure. The study has mapped the morphological evolution of the cardenhas of Vale de Poldros, as well as the evolution that led from them to subsequent morphologies of traditional rural houses. They are a clear evidence that primitive architecture is not a separate subject of the history of architecture, set in the past, but that, instead, there are lines of continuity and evolution between vernacular architecture and contemporary architectural typologies.