A assistência aos expostos de Lisboa: a aprendizagem de ofícios da construção (1777-1812)

Abstract

Among other strategies that the Real Casa dos Expostos, managed by Misericórdia of Lisbon, has adopted in an attempt to ensure the autonomy of the young people it has assisted, it has promoted training in various crafts through contracts with masters of differents trades, in which it has determined the obligations that they had to fulfil towards the institution and apprentices. The fundamental objective was to prepare them to work as journeymen, as stated by the tripartite hierarchy of crafts. Amongst contracts of apprenticeship signed between 1777 and 1812, I will highlight those relating to the building area. The aim is to characterize one of the strategies promoted by that institution to insert the young people it assisted, at a time in their lives when it was not constrained to maintain its assistance.