Códices da Manizola
Item
Country
PT
Name of institution (English)
Évora Public Library
Name of institution (official language of the state)
Language of name of institution
por
Contact information: postal address
Largo Conde de Vila Flor, 7000-804 Évora
Contact information: phone number
00351 266769330
Contact information: web address
Contact information: email
bpevora@bpe.pt
Reference number
Man.
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (English)
Manizola Codices
Title (official language of the state)
Códices da Manizola
Language of title
por
Creator / accumulator
Biblioteca Pública de Évora
Date note
15th century/19th century
Language(s)
por
Extent
667 books
Type of material
Textual Material
Physical condition
Good
Scope and content
The Códices da Manizola is a collection of manuscript books on a wide range of subjects: astronomy, law, philology, genealogy and heraldry, local history, history of Portugal, overseas history, literature, mathematics, music, politics, religion, among others.
It contains some documentation related to the Portuguese Inquisition, especially from the 18th and 19th centuries. Most of these documents are related to the organisation and functioning of the Évora court, such as letters addressed to the Conselho Geral (General Council) of the Holy Office and other courts, by-laws, allowances, drafts and extracts of trials. For instance, codex 596, dated from 1753-54, contains extracts of accusations of Judaism against Veríssimo Pacheco da Silveira, from Sousel (Alentejo, Southern Portugal), who worked in the Hospital Real (Royal Hospital) in Lisbon (see Pinto, 2020).
Codex 595, which contains records of "emprazamentos" (emphyteusis contracts) in Estremoz and Alcácer do Sal in the 15th and 16th centuries, includes mentions to Jews living in Alcácer do Sal who were parties to contracts, such as Jossepe Mousem, clerk of the Jewish "comuna" (commune) (fols. 15-15v); Judas Negro, blacksmith, who bought a vineyard in 1439 (fol. 2v); or Salomão Maçoude, who acquired a house and a tannery in Ribeira (Alcácer’s downtown) in 1456 (fol. 22). See Pereira (2013).
The Códices da Manizola collection also includes an address written by jesuit António Vieira (1608-1697) on the New Christian question (“Discurso que fez o P.e Antonio Vieira sobre a admissão de christãos novos neste reino”) dated from 1643 (cod. 71, n.º 8).
It contains some documentation related to the Portuguese Inquisition, especially from the 18th and 19th centuries. Most of these documents are related to the organisation and functioning of the Évora court, such as letters addressed to the Conselho Geral (General Council) of the Holy Office and other courts, by-laws, allowances, drafts and extracts of trials. For instance, codex 596, dated from 1753-54, contains extracts of accusations of Judaism against Veríssimo Pacheco da Silveira, from Sousel (Alentejo, Southern Portugal), who worked in the Hospital Real (Royal Hospital) in Lisbon (see Pinto, 2020).
Codex 595, which contains records of "emprazamentos" (emphyteusis contracts) in Estremoz and Alcácer do Sal in the 15th and 16th centuries, includes mentions to Jews living in Alcácer do Sal who were parties to contracts, such as Jossepe Mousem, clerk of the Jewish "comuna" (commune) (fols. 15-15v); Judas Negro, blacksmith, who bought a vineyard in 1439 (fol. 2v); or Salomão Maçoude, who acquired a house and a tannery in Ribeira (Alcácer’s downtown) in 1456 (fol. 22). See Pereira (2013).
The Códices da Manizola collection also includes an address written by jesuit António Vieira (1608-1697) on the New Christian question (“Discurso que fez o P.e Antonio Vieira sobre a admissão de christãos novos neste reino”) dated from 1643 (cod. 71, n.º 8).
Archival history
The Códices da Manizola collection was part of the Biblioteca da Manizola (Manizola Library) pertaining to D. José Bernardo de Barahona Fragoso Cordovil da Gama Lobo (1841-1925), the second Viscount of Esperança. It was one of the most important private libraries at the time. The Viscount of Esperança had expressed his intention of donating his library to the Municipality of Évora. However, he did not formalise the donation in life, and his heirs ended up contesting his last will. The process dragged on until the 1950s, causing detrimental effects on the conservation conditions of the materials. An inventory was made in 1936, when the collection was considered of public interest, and it recorded 1,468 items, namely 859 printed books (among them, 56 incunabula), 13 "edições monumentais" (large format books), and 596 manuscript codices (see Dantas, 1936). In 1953, the national treasury acquired the collection, which was deposited in the Biblioteca Pública de Évora (Évora Public Library) two years later. After being incorporated, the Livraria da Manizola was divided into several collections, including the Códices da Manizola.
Administrative / Biographical history
The Biblioteca Pública de Évora was founded by the archbishop Frei Manuel do Cenáculo Villas Boas (1724-1814) in 1805. Its early years were turbulent. The French invasion of 1808 led to the loss of part of the library collection and caused a delay in its organisation. Only in 1811 were the library's by-laws issued, confirming its donation to the Igreja Metropolitana (Metropolitan Church) de Évora, under the condition of keeping the library open to the public.
The death of Frei Manuel do Cenáculo (1814) and the Liberal Wars (1828-34) brought about difficulties to the Biblioteca Pública de Évora, only surpassed after the implantation of the liberal regime and the incorporation of the library into the public sphere. Following the decree of dissolution of the monasteries in 1834, the library collection grew with the incorporation of collections that had belonged to extinguished convents (see Fontes et al., 2017).
In 1916, the Biblioteca Pública de Évora became part of the newly created Arquivo Distrital de Évora (Évora District Archive) and both institutions were only separated in 1997. Ten years later, in 2007, the library organically integrated the Direção-Geral do Livro e das Bibliotecas (at present, Direção-Geral do Livro, dos Arquivos e das Bibliotecas, i.e. Directorate-General for Books, Archives and Libraries) and, since 2012, the Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal (National Library of Portugal).
Sources:
The death of Frei Manuel do Cenáculo (1814) and the Liberal Wars (1828-34) brought about difficulties to the Biblioteca Pública de Évora, only surpassed after the implantation of the liberal regime and the incorporation of the library into the public sphere. Following the decree of dissolution of the monasteries in 1834, the library collection grew with the incorporation of collections that had belonged to extinguished convents (see Fontes et al., 2017).
In 1916, the Biblioteca Pública de Évora became part of the newly created Arquivo Distrital de Évora (Évora District Archive) and both institutions were only separated in 1997. Ten years later, in 2007, the library organically integrated the Direção-Geral do Livro e das Bibliotecas (at present, Direção-Geral do Livro, dos Arquivos e das Bibliotecas, i.e. Directorate-General for Books, Archives and Libraries) and, since 2012, the Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal (National Library of Portugal).
Sources:
Access points: locations
Access points: persons, families
Access points: corporate bodies
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
System of arrangement
The Manizola collection preserves its original sequential numerical order.
Finding aids
A policopied catalogue is available for consultation in the Biblioteca Pública de Évora, which describes 600 manuscripts. 67 manuscripts are not catalogued.
Links to finding aids
Author of the description
Carla Vieira, 2021
Bibliography
Published primary sources
Linked resources
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