The Barrocal - Dry Stone Technique and Construction

This work aims to publish the dry stone heritage of the Barrocal region, Algarve, southern mainland Portugal. Throughout this work, it was discovered that these buildings are, for the most part, in ruins. Their rehabilitation and dissemination would be possible because they have a great cultural value and a sense of belonging to these places, among the population that still lives in this region. The methodology for carrying out this work was based on four phases: 1) contextualization of studies developed in Portugal; 2) identification and classification of dry stone constructions, according to their use and typology; 3) registration and analysis of these constructions with the aim of obtaining constructive and geometric data; 4) proposals for conservation and promotion, both of construction techniques and buildings. This survey is original, as it has not yet been carried out from this point of view. There is some work on dry stone, but mainly focused on walls. The fact that this heritage is not valued and has lost its usefulness means that it is at serious risk of disappearing. With better knowledge of this type of heritage, it is possible to make people value it and develop strategies to promote it, thus managing to maintain it. Through the dissemination of this work, it is hoped that this type of heritage will be valued and preserved. In practice, with the Algarve being the most touristic area in Portugal, the reuse or definition of new functions of this heritage can be an added value for tourist activity.