Fonds: Companhia das Obras Públicas Portuguesa

Date of creation: 19 December 1844
Date of extinction: 2 January 1856
Administrative history: By way of a deed dated 19 December 1844, a group of capitalists - Carlos Morato Roma, Francisco Ribeiro da Cunha, Joaquim Honorato Ferreira, José Maria Eugénio de Almeida, Manuel Cardoso dos Santos, Manuel Gomes da Costa São Romão and Tomás Maria Bessone – formed a Company under the name of Companhia das Obras Públicas Portuguesa (Portuguese Public Works Company) which set out “to accomplish all the great public works legally authorised for the improvement of the country’s communications …", and was approved, along with its statutes by a Decree of the same date.

Its capital stock was set at 20,000 contos (1), of which the Banco de Lisboa and the Companhia Confiança Nacional subscribed 4,000 each.

On 1 March 1845, the Companhia entered into a contract with the Government, whereby it was entrusted with carrying out the necessary works so as to improve the country’s communications, namely the opening and improvement of several roads, the construction of the East railway line, the improvement of the Oporto harbour and the construction of the Oporto Customs House, the Lisbon ring road and a penitentiary, among other works set out by the Government. Approval of the plans and supervision of the works were the reserved right of the Government.

The Company was granted exclusivity to establish the entire service of stage-coaches, postal carriages, transport vehicles, etc., for the transportation of passengers and merchandise on the roads and railways it built or improved, enjoying such privilege for 40 years on the roads and 99 years on the railways.

Despite such facilities, the Company was unable to see its ambitious plan through. Owing to serious financial hardship, it spiralled into decline, having only undertaken the construction and improvement of some roads and performed studies for the Lisbon ring road and East railway lines, whose construction it did not manage to see through since it was replaced by other companies that had emerged in the meantime and with which the Government had already entered into contracts (Companhia Utilidade Pública and Companhia Central Peninsular dos Caminhos de Ferro de Portugal).

Thus, the company closed down at the end of 1855 with a negative balance, closing its accounts on 2 January 1856.

Documentation from this Company only contains account books and sent correspondence records, totalling 12 items and covering the 10 years of its activity.

Documentation dates: 1845-1856

No. items: 12
Extent: 0.37 Lm

Finding aid: Arquivo da Companhia das Obras Públicas de Portugal (Col. Inventários, 7)
Access: No consultation restrictions.

All documentation is microfilmed and digitalized.


(1) Conto is the value of 1,000 escudos, the former Portuguese currency.