“Não tirem a luz nem a vista”: o respeito pelo espaço dos outros

Abstract

This paper will deal with the so-called Zeno’s Constitution, De aedificiis privatis, designed to be applied to Constantinople but used by Justinian in all of the Roman Empire at 531. This text explains thoroughly the measures taken at that time to protect the public and private rights concerning private buildings. Special attention will be given to the modern concerns in this area of urbanism, such as the pleasure that citizens are entitled to derive from their homes, and they will be compared with the kind of concerns that can be found in Zeno’s Constitution. In order to do so, the law before his instructions will be referred to and modern laws of urbanism will be studied, notably in the MMP , or Municipal Master Plan.