Workers in the Alto Alentejo border towns (14th-16th centuries): activities, specialisation and mobility

In Portugal, some medievalists have considered the road network and the support structures for travellers, such as inns, among their main areas of interest. The studies carried out have provided information about these elements more in the region north of the Tagus than to the south. On the other hand, there is still a need for studies that address the role of these urban centres in the circulation between the two kingdoms and their area of influence, as well as the contribution of these elements to the definition and evolution of the urban hierarchy on both realms. Thus, we intend to contribute to a better understanding of the role of small Portuguese border towns in the circulation within and beyond the realm through the study of a set of cases from one region (the present-day Alto Alentejo). We will begin by presenting the towns under research and reflecting on the available sources for the study of circulation, exploring the limitations and potentialities posed by the existing data. Subsequently, we will reconstruct the road network and the buildings and institutions that supported travellers.