Monchique council's mayor, Rui André, knows his chimneys. He is the only mayor in the Algarve who has insisted that a countywide register be made of these iconic structures, many of which are over 200 years old.
Most rise above privately owned buildings and the council and the regional culture board have no regional register and are unable to insist on maintenance best practice when chimneys are intefered with during building work.
The Algarve’s chimneys are much photographed and written about but the vast majority are not protected despite being an essential part of the architectural heritage of the region.
In the Algarve, the Director of Regional Culture, Alexandra Gonçalves, says there are formal protection mechanisms that local authorities can use to protect chimneys but to survey the whole region is not practical so many of the oldest are not known about and not covered.
Councils can designate certain chimneys as being of ‘municipal interest’ but these structures are largely privately owned, many in towns are invisible from street level and all prone to being messed around with by unaware builders.
The 'Monchique chimney route' now exists but it is no small task to continue to classify the whole council area’s notable chimneys, said mayor Rui André.
In Cacela, Vila Real de Santo António, a study was made of traditional chimneys but this is not the sort of widespread study needed if chimneys are to be protected.
The parish council in Porches, Lagoa has pledged to counter any moves to destroy a 200-year-old chimney in the village.
Last year Lagoa council approved the preservation of a chimney on a building that is owned by the Church but the parish is concerned that the chimney will be weakened by council-authorised construction work.
A technical analysis showed that the chimney was particularly vulnerable and if there is any damage caused by the builder, “it will be down to that contractor to mend the chimney according to its original design,” say the parish councillors.
The Church says the project is still at an early stage and that is it not intended to remove and replace the chimney with a replica, as has been mooted.
Comments
As one travels, in so many countries, which have become modernised, it is difficult to remember which one is in, although the Agarve has retained much of its charming identity. Hopefully, the of 'municipal interest' will translate into the camara monitoring such restoration works.