Foral

Foral of Castro Verde - Portugal

TheCarta de Foral,or simplyForal,was a royal document inPortugaland its formerempire,whose purpose was to establish aconcelho(Council) and regulate its administration, borders and privileges. A newly founded town would also need the king's approval through aForal,in order to be considered one. In this case, the town's administration and privileges would be defined in that document.Foraiswere granted between the 12th and the 16th centuries.

TheForalwas the basis formunicipalfoundation, thus the most important event of a city or town's history. It was critical to a successful land settling and an increase in crop yields, by giving more freedom and dignity, via aconcession,to farmers, in an age when people were subject to near slave work, as servants oflandlords.TheForalmade aconcelhofree fromfeudalcontrol, transferring power down to a neighbours council (concelho), with its own municipal autonomy. As a result, the population would become directly and exclusively under the dominion and jurisdiction of the crown, excluding the Lord from the power hierarchy. TheForalgranted public lands to the collective use of the community, regulated taxes, tolls and fines and established protection rights and military duties within royal service.

Apillory(pelourinho) is directly linked to aForal.It was raised after theForalwas granted and placed in the main square of the town.

The nounforal(European Portuguese:[fuˈɾal],plural:forais) is derived from thePortuguesewordforo,ultimately fromLatinforum,and is cognate withSpanishfuero,Galicianforo,CatalanfurandBasqueforu.