Corpo Cronológico
Item
Country
PT
Name of institution (English)
The National Archive of Torre do Tombo
Name of institution (official language of the state)
Language of name of institution
por
Contact information: postal address
Alameda da Universidade, 1649-010 Lisbon
Contact information: phone number
00351 210037100
Contact information: web address
Contact information: email
mail@dglab.gov.pt
Reference number
PT/TT/CC
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (English)
Chronological collection
Title (official language of the state)
Corpo Cronológico
Language of title
por
Creator / accumulator
Arquivo da Casa da Coroa / Arquivo Nacional Torre do Tombo
Date(s)
1137/1699
Language(s)
ara
fra
ita
lad
lat
por
spa
Extent
525 bundles, 83,250 documents
Type of material
Textual Material
Physical condition
Good
Scope and content
The Corpo Cronológico collection gathers a diverse body of documents starting in the 12th century. Most are letters and correspondence between the Crown and its officials in the "Estado da Índia" between the 15th and 16th centuries. The collection also contains several "cartas de mercê" (letters of privilege), "ordenações" (orders), "alvarás"(permits), among others. There are several references, within such vast documentation, to the Jewish communities in Portugal before the late 15th-century expulsion and in the aftermath of the banishment, namely the conversion to Christianity and the departure from the kingdom. Maria José Ferro Tavares identifies a few documents, such as, for instance, an order from King João II for a payment to be made to the Rabbi (PT/TT/CC/1/2/18); another royal order from King Manuel I, in 1512, to pay Henrique Fernandes Abravanel, a converso, a debt that the crown had to his grandfather Jacob Abravanel and his uncle Judas Abravanel (PT/TT/CC/1/10/165); or a series of documents about Jews and New Christians in North Africa (PT/TT/CC/3/0001/000018; PT/TT/CC/2/21/6; PT/TT/CC/2/142/108; PT/TT/CC/1/7/18; PT/TT/CC/3/12/000028; PT/TT/CC/1/59/32; PT/TT/CC/1/70/33; PT/TT/CC/1/73/26; PT/TT/CC/1/71/70; PT/TT/CC/1/72/30; PT/TT/CC/1/69/114; PT/TT/CC/1/69/120; PT/TT/CC/1/57/84; PT/TT/CC/1/58/34), among others. See Tavares (1982-1985) and (1986).
There are other highlights in this collection:
PT/TT/CC/3/0001/00007: a request in aljamiado made by Izaque Alferçe, "requeridor e recebedor dos direitos da alfândega" (receiver of custom duties) to the "almoxarife" of Silves, for the payment of tithes on olive oil and other goods (April 23, 1474).
PT/TT/CC/3/0001/00004: A fragment of the Talmud in Hebrew as the cover of a booklet from 1395 on the collection of the salt tribute.
The Corpo Cronológico also contains information regarding the first generations of New Christians. A search by terms (field: Title or Scope and Content) in the Arquivo Nacional da Torre do Tombo's database could be fruitful for any research on this field.
There are other highlights in this collection:
PT/TT/CC/3/0001/00007: a request in aljamiado made by Izaque Alferçe, "requeridor e recebedor dos direitos da alfândega" (receiver of custom duties) to the "almoxarife" of Silves, for the payment of tithes on olive oil and other goods (April 23, 1474).
PT/TT/CC/3/0001/00004: A fragment of the Talmud in Hebrew as the cover of a booklet from 1395 on the collection of the salt tribute.
The Corpo Cronológico also contains information regarding the first generations of New Christians. A search by terms (field: Title or Scope and Content) in the Arquivo Nacional da Torre do Tombo's database could be fruitful for any research on this field.
Archival history
This collection was originally formed by documents on state affairs, dated between the 15th and 16th centuries, gathered by Pêro Alcáçova Carneiro, state secretary, and given in 1569 to the "Guarda-Mor" of Torre do Tombo (officer in charge of the royal records and documents), Damião de Góis. Góis divided it into bundles according to themes and confidentiality. To this day, these documents represent the main core of the collection.
A second addition to this collection was made in 1667, with the papers and memories of the recently deceased Crown prosecutor, Tomé Pinheiro da Veiga. In 1754, another addition was most likely made, mainly of loose documents.
With the 1755 earthquake, some of the documents were dispersed. The following year, the "Guarda-Mor" of Torre do Tombo, Manuel da Maia, decided to organise the documents chronologically, hence the name of the collection.
The Royal Archives were transformed in the 19th century after the emergence of Liberalism, and the collection was then integrated into the National Archives of Torre do Tombo.
A second addition to this collection was made in 1667, with the papers and memories of the recently deceased Crown prosecutor, Tomé Pinheiro da Veiga. In 1754, another addition was most likely made, mainly of loose documents.
With the 1755 earthquake, some of the documents were dispersed. The following year, the "Guarda-Mor" of Torre do Tombo, Manuel da Maia, decided to organise the documents chronologically, hence the name of the collection.
The Royal Archives were transformed in the 19th century after the emergence of Liberalism, and the collection was then integrated into the National Archives of Torre do Tombo.
Administrative / Biographical history
The Arquivo Nacional da Torre do Tombo is one of Portugal's oldest institutions. Its origins go back at least to the 14th century. The royal documents used to follow the itinerant medieval court, with only the most important documents being held at different monasteries. Once the court established itself in Lisbon, so did the royal archives. The first documental reference to a set location is from 1378. The archive was kept in one of the towers of São Jorge Castle, hence its name Torre do Tombo (Tower of the Archive). The "guarda-mor" (high-guardian) was responsible for its safekeeping.
Until 1755, the Torre do Tombo functioned as the Crown's archive, serving the king's administration and granting certificates to institutions and individuals. The oldest record reporting its organisation and content is from 1526: a letter from Tomé Lopes to King João III that mentions 149 books of Chancellery records and 47 of the so-called Leitura Nova (a compilation of copies of old documents ordered by King Manuel I).
In the 16th century, with the growing centralisation and the greater strength and complexity of the State, Torre do Tombo became a real State archive. Monarchs took notice of the archive, as they understood the importance of the relation between information and power. Some documents from other areas of the central administration were incorporated into the archive. Torre do Tombo became a reference, even serving as an example to Philip II of Spain when regulating the Archive of Simancas.
The first indexes of the archive were created during the 17th and 18th centuries, as the interest in these documents increased and their reorganisation was ongoing. A 1702 index, most likely created by João Duarte Lisboa, responsible for the archive’s reformation, reveals that, in 1656, the archive was arranged in 15 “armários” (cabinets). Twenty years later, the archive had five more “armários”.
In 1755, the tower of the castle was destroyed in the Great Earthquake. The documents were then temporarily saved in a woodshed and, two years later, partly transferred to the monastery of São Bento da Saúde in Lisbon. The papers were then reorganised, and several copies were made. The new organisation did not follow the old methods; instead, it followed the logic of the enlightened 18th century, favouring a methodical and chronological order. The confusion between sections, series, collections, and fonds is noticeable, and the archive's organic structure was unclear, which certainly illustrated how the Crown's institutions were arranged and functioned. Many documents were lost in this new reorganisation and, even with the information given by the indexes, the original structure is still somewhat unclear.
The 18th century also brought a new way of looking at history and a new value to these documents. That explains the incorporation of the Society of Jesus' records in 1768, following the expulsion of the Jesuits from Portugal. It was one of the first examples of the incorporation in the Crown's archives of documents produced by other institutions. After the Liberal Revolution, these incorporations became customary, collecting records of old courts and religious corporations. In 1823, the royal archive changed its name to Arquivo Nacional da Torre do Tombo (National Archive of Torre do Tombo), making it clear that it was not only an archive of the Crown but of the whole nation. However, there was no active will or ability to enable its access and to explore its documents, as the focus was only on their compilation.
The beginning of the 20th century and the establishment of the Republic in 1911 did not bring many new developments, as well as the dictatorship (1926-1974). In the 1950s, an effort was made by the director, João Martins da Silva Marques, to reorganise the documentation, leading to the creation of the Núcleo Antigo (Old Core) collection. Throughout the 20th century, many collections and documents were added to the archive, coming from different public and private institutions.
In 1990, the archives moved to a new building made specifically for that purpose, where they are still located today. In more recent years, part of the fonds and collections were rearranged to match the original organisation. For instance, the Núcleo Antigo was disassembled, creating new fonds and collections, and incorporating other documents into already existing ones.
Until 1755, the Torre do Tombo functioned as the Crown's archive, serving the king's administration and granting certificates to institutions and individuals. The oldest record reporting its organisation and content is from 1526: a letter from Tomé Lopes to King João III that mentions 149 books of Chancellery records and 47 of the so-called Leitura Nova (a compilation of copies of old documents ordered by King Manuel I).
In the 16th century, with the growing centralisation and the greater strength and complexity of the State, Torre do Tombo became a real State archive. Monarchs took notice of the archive, as they understood the importance of the relation between information and power. Some documents from other areas of the central administration were incorporated into the archive. Torre do Tombo became a reference, even serving as an example to Philip II of Spain when regulating the Archive of Simancas.
The first indexes of the archive were created during the 17th and 18th centuries, as the interest in these documents increased and their reorganisation was ongoing. A 1702 index, most likely created by João Duarte Lisboa, responsible for the archive’s reformation, reveals that, in 1656, the archive was arranged in 15 “armários” (cabinets). Twenty years later, the archive had five more “armários”.
In 1755, the tower of the castle was destroyed in the Great Earthquake. The documents were then temporarily saved in a woodshed and, two years later, partly transferred to the monastery of São Bento da Saúde in Lisbon. The papers were then reorganised, and several copies were made. The new organisation did not follow the old methods; instead, it followed the logic of the enlightened 18th century, favouring a methodical and chronological order. The confusion between sections, series, collections, and fonds is noticeable, and the archive's organic structure was unclear, which certainly illustrated how the Crown's institutions were arranged and functioned. Many documents were lost in this new reorganisation and, even with the information given by the indexes, the original structure is still somewhat unclear.
The 18th century also brought a new way of looking at history and a new value to these documents. That explains the incorporation of the Society of Jesus' records in 1768, following the expulsion of the Jesuits from Portugal. It was one of the first examples of the incorporation in the Crown's archives of documents produced by other institutions. After the Liberal Revolution, these incorporations became customary, collecting records of old courts and religious corporations. In 1823, the royal archive changed its name to Arquivo Nacional da Torre do Tombo (National Archive of Torre do Tombo), making it clear that it was not only an archive of the Crown but of the whole nation. However, there was no active will or ability to enable its access and to explore its documents, as the focus was only on their compilation.
The beginning of the 20th century and the establishment of the Republic in 1911 did not bring many new developments, as well as the dictatorship (1926-1974). In the 1950s, an effort was made by the director, João Martins da Silva Marques, to reorganise the documentation, leading to the creation of the Núcleo Antigo (Old Core) collection. Throughout the 20th century, many collections and documents were added to the archive, coming from different public and private institutions.
In 1990, the archives moved to a new building made specifically for that purpose, where they are still located today. In more recent years, part of the fonds and collections were rearranged to match the original organisation. For instance, the Núcleo Antigo was disassembled, creating new fonds and collections, and incorporating other documents into already existing ones.
Access points: locations
Access points: persons, families
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
System of arrangement
The collection is divided into three parts containing bundles (120 on part 1, 334 on part 2, 32 on part 3). These are arranged in chronological order, with some exceptions.
Access, restrictions
Most documents available online. The original copies of those documents are not available for consultation.
Finding aids
Unpublished finding aids:
Coutinho, João Pereira de Azeredo. 1776. Inventario dos livros, maços e documentos que se guardam no Real Archivo da Torre do Tombo [...] no anno de 1776. Parte IV.
Maia, Manuel da. 1756-1764. Corpo Cronológico: catálogo.
Maia, Manuel da. 1756-1764. Corpo Cronológico: índice onomástico.
Maia, Manuel da. 1756-1764. Corpo Cronológico: índice cronológico.
Portugal, Instituto dos Arquivos Nacionais / Torre do Tombo. [18? - 1841?]. Corpo Cronológico: Catálogo.
Published finding aids:
Links to finding aids
Bibliography
Published primary sources
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