Pergaminhos Avulsos
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
Pergaminhos Avulsos
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (English)
Parchments
Title (official language of the state)
Pergaminhos Avulsos
Language of title
por
Creator / accumulator
Biblioteca Pública de Évora
Date note
14th century/18th century
Language(s)
por
lat
Extent
25 folders (c. 2,300 documents)
Type of material
Textual Material
Physical condition
Good
Scope and content
The Pergaminhos Avulsos collection contains documents of various provenances. However, a significant part of them originally pertains to monasteries in Alentejo that were extinguished after 1834. Most records are from the 14th and 15th centuries and refer to estate contracts, namely sales, purchases, "aforamentos " and "emprazamentos" (emphyteusis), etc. Some contain rich information on the "judiaria" (Jewish quarter) and Jews of Évora, as well as the Jewish community of Montemor-o-Novo, also in Alentejo.
For instance, folder 5, which gathers documents related to the monastery of São Bento de Cástris, in Évora, includes some contracts related to houses located in the city’s Jewish quarters, owned by the monastery and leased or sold to Jews (docs. 5, 18, 24, and 105). It also contains a record that shows that, in 1383, the royal interests in the "almoxarifado" (warehouse) of Évora were rented to a Jew, Abraão Sevilhão (doc. 15).
Other contracts involving Jewish residents in Évora were related to “aforamentos” of houses in the Jewish quarter owned by the monastery of São Francisco (folder 16, doc. 71; folder 11, doc. 24) or the church of Santiago. It is the case of one of the oldest parchments related to the Jews of Évora in this collection: a deed of “aforamento” of a house located near the Porta Nova (one of the city’s entrances) by the church of Santiago to a Jewish spices trader named Mousem on July 23, 1336 (folder 24, doc. 11). In 1345, the church of Santiago claimed ownership of the house that served as the synagogue, which rabbi Abraão had delivered to the bishop of Évora (folder 24, doc. 18). Other records related to transactions of houses in the judiaria de Évora can be found in the following: folder 12, docs. 2 and 117; folder 13, doc. 65; folder 16, docs. 26, 60, 88. The collection also contains evidence of social tensions between Jews and Christians related to claims over estates. It is the case of a dispute over the “aforamento” (emphyteusis) of a house in the Jewish quarter of Évora involving Abraão Capelão and Gonçalo Pires Fava, which was solved in August of 1394 with a new contract (folder 16, doc. 77; folder 12, doc. 1a).
Besides urban estates, records also mention acquisitions, sales or leasings of rural properties in the city outskirts by Jews of Évora. For instance, on November 18, 1433, the merchant Isaque Querido sold a vineyard in the vicinity of Évora to a Christian couple for 3,000 reais brancos (currency); on the occasion of the sale, Querido presented a licence given by King João I authorizing him to transact with Christians (doc. 26, folder 22). Other examples of transactions of vineyards, olive groves and farms involving Jews of Évora can be found in the following collection (folder 3, docs. 37 and 75; folder 13, docs. 94 and 115; folder 17, docs. 82 and 106; folder 18, doc. 14).
The Pergaminhos Avulsos collection also comprises parchments with references to the Jewish community of Montemor-o-Novo, mainly related to estates under the jurisdiction of the town’s churches and convents. In January of 1460, Saim Lube sold to Frabibe Franquo, a blacksmith, a house in the Jewish quarter of Montemor-o-Novo, whose “foro” (rent) was paid to the church of Santa Maria do Bispo (folder 11, doc. 43). In 1490, the same church leased a house and a hovel in the village to another Jew, Jacob Farache (folder 15, doc. 58). References to deals involving Jews and related to vineyards and farms in the outskirts of the town can be found in folders 12 (docs. 38 and 56), 17 (doc. 63), 21 (doc. 29) and 23 (docs. 42 and 56).
The collection also holds materials concerning the sale of estates by Jews after the decree of expulsion. Shortly after, in January of 1497, Saloman Benafaça sold his house in the Jewish quarter of Évora — of which he paid “foro” to the monastery of São Francisco) — to a Christian widow for 30,000 reais brancos (folder 11, doc. 24). On November 27, 1499, it was recorded the leasing of "alcaçarias" (tanning workshops) in the city of Évora that had previously belonged to a Jew named Zarrel (folder 13, doc. 132). Folder 9 also contains another interesting document: a barter deal dated May 26, 1500, regarding houses located in a street in Vila Viçosa (also in Alentejo), where the town’s synagogue had been located some years before (folder 9, doc. 38).
For instance, folder 5, which gathers documents related to the monastery of São Bento de Cástris, in Évora, includes some contracts related to houses located in the city’s Jewish quarters, owned by the monastery and leased or sold to Jews (docs. 5, 18, 24, and 105). It also contains a record that shows that, in 1383, the royal interests in the "almoxarifado" (warehouse) of Évora were rented to a Jew, Abraão Sevilhão (doc. 15).
Other contracts involving Jewish residents in Évora were related to “aforamentos” of houses in the Jewish quarter owned by the monastery of São Francisco (folder 16, doc. 71; folder 11, doc. 24) or the church of Santiago. It is the case of one of the oldest parchments related to the Jews of Évora in this collection: a deed of “aforamento” of a house located near the Porta Nova (one of the city’s entrances) by the church of Santiago to a Jewish spices trader named Mousem on July 23, 1336 (folder 24, doc. 11). In 1345, the church of Santiago claimed ownership of the house that served as the synagogue, which rabbi Abraão had delivered to the bishop of Évora (folder 24, doc. 18). Other records related to transactions of houses in the judiaria de Évora can be found in the following: folder 12, docs. 2 and 117; folder 13, doc. 65; folder 16, docs. 26, 60, 88. The collection also contains evidence of social tensions between Jews and Christians related to claims over estates. It is the case of a dispute over the “aforamento” (emphyteusis) of a house in the Jewish quarter of Évora involving Abraão Capelão and Gonçalo Pires Fava, which was solved in August of 1394 with a new contract (folder 16, doc. 77; folder 12, doc. 1a).
Besides urban estates, records also mention acquisitions, sales or leasings of rural properties in the city outskirts by Jews of Évora. For instance, on November 18, 1433, the merchant Isaque Querido sold a vineyard in the vicinity of Évora to a Christian couple for 3,000 reais brancos (currency); on the occasion of the sale, Querido presented a licence given by King João I authorizing him to transact with Christians (doc. 26, folder 22). Other examples of transactions of vineyards, olive groves and farms involving Jews of Évora can be found in the following collection (folder 3, docs. 37 and 75; folder 13, docs. 94 and 115; folder 17, docs. 82 and 106; folder 18, doc. 14).
The Pergaminhos Avulsos collection also comprises parchments with references to the Jewish community of Montemor-o-Novo, mainly related to estates under the jurisdiction of the town’s churches and convents. In January of 1460, Saim Lube sold to Frabibe Franquo, a blacksmith, a house in the Jewish quarter of Montemor-o-Novo, whose “foro” (rent) was paid to the church of Santa Maria do Bispo (folder 11, doc. 43). In 1490, the same church leased a house and a hovel in the village to another Jew, Jacob Farache (folder 15, doc. 58). References to deals involving Jews and related to vineyards and farms in the outskirts of the town can be found in folders 12 (docs. 38 and 56), 17 (doc. 63), 21 (doc. 29) and 23 (docs. 42 and 56).
The collection also holds materials concerning the sale of estates by Jews after the decree of expulsion. Shortly after, in January of 1497, Saloman Benafaça sold his house in the Jewish quarter of Évora — of which he paid “foro” to the monastery of São Francisco) — to a Christian widow for 30,000 reais brancos (folder 11, doc. 24). On November 27, 1499, it was recorded the leasing of "alcaçarias" (tanning workshops) in the city of Évora that had previously belonged to a Jew named Zarrel (folder 13, doc. 132). Folder 9 also contains another interesting document: a barter deal dated May 26, 1500, regarding houses located in a street in Vila Viçosa (also in Alentejo), where the town’s synagogue had been located some years before (folder 9, doc. 38).
Archival history
At an uncertain date, the parchments of the Biblioteca Pública de Évora (Évora Public Library) were separated from their original fonds and gathered into one collection, the Pergaminhos Avulsos. Therefore, this collection contains documents of several provenances. However, a significant part of them came from monasteries and collegiates from Évora and other Alentejo localities whose archives were incorporated into the Biblioteca Pública de Évora from the 19th century onwards. The parchments were bundled in 26 "pastas" (folders), mostly without a rigorous criterion, except for their dimension. However, there are a few folders that were organised based on the original provenance of the parchments, namely documents from the monasteries of Santa Maria do Espinheiro (1), S. Bento de Cástris (4, 5 and 25), S. Domingos and S. Francisco de Évora (2) and the Church of Santiago (9 and 24).
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: corporate bodies
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
System of arrangement
Records are arranged in 26 "pastas" (folders). The organisation of the folders is not regular: some are ordered by date (although with some errors), others are numbered without discretion, and others contain unnumbered documents.
Finding aids
Since 2009, the items of the Pergaminhos Avulsos collection had been described and published in the database FUNDIS, a repository of descriptions of documents from archival collections belonging to institutions of Southern Portugal developed by the CIDEHUS-UÉ, a research unit of the University of Évora. They are searchable online on the web platform Archeevo.
Links to finding aids
Author of the description
Carla Vieira, 2021
Bibliography
Published primary sources
Linked resources
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