Fire Safety Conditions at Historic Buildings: Cathedral of Porto Case

Abstract

Background: Cultural heritage consists of all assets that, being testimonies with civilization or cultural value, bearers of relevant cultural interest, should be the object of special protection and appreciation. Fire is one of the main dangers that affect cultural heritage worldwide, with an impact that can result in the total or partial loss of irreplaceable assets. Objective: The main objective of this text is to reflect on the implementation of protection and maintenance measures capable of preventing most fires and minimizing their effects, with a particular focus on the efforts to be made in adapting them to historic buildings, based on the case study. Method: The methodological design was based on documental analysis and observational and analytical study, translated into the description and analysis of the current fire safety conditions implemented in the Cathedral of Porto, proposing corrective and improvement measures, bearing the ease of their implementation. Results/Discussion: The elaboration of a fire safety analysis in historic buildings can be a considerable challenge and require joint action to develop minimally invasive, innovative, and sustainable solutions capable of reconciling the principles of fire safety and heritage conservation. Conclusion: The Cathedral of Porto only meets a few regulatory generic fire requirements.