Brick Vaults in Southern Portugal

There are many types of vaults, and vaulted architecture spans a vast universe of time, space, and typology. As a subject intersects multiple disciplines and fields of knowledge. Vaults can be understood from various perspec-tives – whether focusing on their structural role, their geometric form and resulting spatial configuration, on construction systems and materials, or on fin-ishes and ornamental elements, both painted and sculpted in relief, thereby engaging other forms of artistic expression. Moreover, all these perspectives can be examined across different historical periods and in relation to their geograph-ical distribution.This issue of the Revista de História da Arte focuses on brick vaults within a broader concept of vernacular architecture.