Pergaminhos
Item
Country
PT
Name of institution (English)
Porto Municipal Historical Archive
Name of institution (official language of the state)
Language of name of institution
por
Contact information: postal address
Rua da Alfândega 10, 4050-029 Porto
Contact information: phone number
00351 222060400
Contact information: web address
Contact information: email
dmah@cm-porto.pt
Reference number
PERG
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (English)
Parchments
Title (official language of the state)
Pergaminhos
Language of title
por
Creator / accumulator
Câmara Municipal do Porto
Date(s)
1286/1604
Language(s)
por
Extent
8 volumes (more than 600 documents)
Type of material
Textual Material
Physical condition
Good
Scope and content
The Pergaminhos collection contains documents related to the city of Porto, in particular from the medieval period. Most of these documents are estate contracts, namely sales, purchases, "aforamentos", "emprazamentos" (emphyteusis contracts), etc. Some contain rich information on the "judiaria" (Jewish quarter) and the Jewish community of Porto. A deed dated June 2, 1388, reports the perpetual “aforamento” that the municipality of Porto made to the Jewish community on a farm in Campo do Olival, inside the city walls, for 200 “maravedis velhos” (currency) per year (PERG-169(C 34) and PERG-201(C 39)). The Jewish quarter would be located in this area until the expulsion. For this reason, the Jewish quarter of Porto is known as the “judiaria do Olival”. This document is the oldest from this collection related to the Jewish community. Other examples are the following:
PERG-209[C 43(1]); PERG-210[C 43(2)]: The municipality of Porto leases in perpetuity a part of a farm near the Jewish quarter’s entrance to a Jewish goldsmith, Antão Amiel, who had leased the same farm before in partnership with Jacob Primo, also a Jewish goldsmith. Porto, May 21, 1399.
PERG-229(B93): The municipality of Porto leases a store near the São Domingos bridge to Abraão Sadiaz (?) and his wife Cinfana. Porto, October 30, 1409. The same couple had leased a farm in Olival, of which they bestowed a part to two brothers, Jacob and Samuel Primo, in 1410 (PERG-233(C 51)).
PERG-236(C 52): The municipality of Porto leases in perpetuity four farms in the Jewish quarter to the Jewish goldsmith Moisés Baruc and his wife. Porto, January 3, 1411. In the following year (1412-10-10), Baruc gave half of these farms to another Jewish goldsmith, Jacob Polegar (PERG-238(C 54)). On May 16, 1413, the same Polegar bestowed a half of these farms to Moisés Castanho (PERG-238(C 54))
PERG-241(D 13): King João I orders the Jewish “comuna” (commune) to comply with the clauses of the 1388 deeds after a dispute between them and the city council. Porto, September 20, 1414.
PERG-274(C 67): Diogo Afonso, a valet and royal officer, sold on behalf of the widow of Pedro Gonçalves, a member of the King’s council and “vedor da Fazenda” (Treasury steward), four houses in the Jewish quarter to the sons of Abraão Benjamim and Efraim Francês. Porto, June 11, 1445.
PERG-297(B 116): João de Aragão, a King’s valet, leases a house in the Jewish quarter to a Jewish “gibiteiro” (hauberk maker) named Samuel Marcos. Porto, June 16, 1455.
PERG–340(D 22): A Christian “almocreve” (mule driver) named João Gonçalves requires the municipality’s permission to give part of a farm near the Jewish quarter’s gate that he had leased to Moisés Gatel, a Jewish “gibiteiro”, and his wife. Porto, April 3, 1467.
PERG–362(C 105): The municipality of Porto leases in perpetuity a farm near the Jewish quarter’s gate to Mestre Marcos and Samuel Saalom. Porto, December 14, 1474.
PERG–374(C 111): Abraão Benjamim sells a third of a house in the Jewish quarter that he had inherited from his father, Junça Benjamim, to his brother Moisés Benjamim. Porto, 1477. In the same year, Moisés Benjamim purchased the house’s remaining share from his other brother, Isaac Benjamim (PERG–381(C 115)).
PERG–401(C 121): Pedro Afonso de Aguiar, on behalf of the widow of Vasco Gil, a collector of warehouse rents, orders the sale of a house in the Jewish quarter belonging to Abraão Zarco, a Jewish merchant who owed 8,500 reais to Gil after he had rented the bread and meat taxes. Mestre José Marcos bought the house. Porto, July 19, 1479.
PERG–400(C 120): Mestre José, physician of the Duchess of Bragança and Guimarães, and his wife Aviziboa lease a house in the Jewish quarter to Salomão de Almeida and his wife Rica. Porto, August 3, 1479.
PERG–472(C153): The Jewish merchant Junça Benjamim purchased two houses in the Jewish quarter from his father-in-law Moisés Benjamim. Porto, May 30, 1495.
The collection also includes evidence of late-15th-century and early-16th-century transactions of estates previously belonging to Jews. It is the case of a house in Rua de S. Miguel that had been leased to a Jew named Santo Salvaterra and his mother-in-law, D. Velida Capeloa. On September 9, 1497, they renounced the contract, and the municipality of Porto leased the same house to a Christian couple, João Álvares Moeda and Maria Fernandes, on April 28, 1498 (PERG–486(C162)). In the same street, João Brandão, “contador régio” (royal accountant) in Porto, sold a house that had belonged to the Jewish “comuna” to a New Christian named Lourenço Pires in 1499 (PERG–495(B157)).
Most of these documents were transcribed and published in the early 20th century in volume 6 of Corpus Codicum (1948-1978).
PERG-209[C 43(1]); PERG-210[C 43(2)]: The municipality of Porto leases in perpetuity a part of a farm near the Jewish quarter’s entrance to a Jewish goldsmith, Antão Amiel, who had leased the same farm before in partnership with Jacob Primo, also a Jewish goldsmith. Porto, May 21, 1399.
PERG-229(B93): The municipality of Porto leases a store near the São Domingos bridge to Abraão Sadiaz (?) and his wife Cinfana. Porto, October 30, 1409. The same couple had leased a farm in Olival, of which they bestowed a part to two brothers, Jacob and Samuel Primo, in 1410 (PERG-233(C 51)).
PERG-236(C 52): The municipality of Porto leases in perpetuity four farms in the Jewish quarter to the Jewish goldsmith Moisés Baruc and his wife. Porto, January 3, 1411. In the following year (1412-10-10), Baruc gave half of these farms to another Jewish goldsmith, Jacob Polegar (PERG-238(C 54)). On May 16, 1413, the same Polegar bestowed a half of these farms to Moisés Castanho (PERG-238(C 54))
PERG-241(D 13): King João I orders the Jewish “comuna” (commune) to comply with the clauses of the 1388 deeds after a dispute between them and the city council. Porto, September 20, 1414.
PERG-274(C 67): Diogo Afonso, a valet and royal officer, sold on behalf of the widow of Pedro Gonçalves, a member of the King’s council and “vedor da Fazenda” (Treasury steward), four houses in the Jewish quarter to the sons of Abraão Benjamim and Efraim Francês. Porto, June 11, 1445.
PERG-297(B 116): João de Aragão, a King’s valet, leases a house in the Jewish quarter to a Jewish “gibiteiro” (hauberk maker) named Samuel Marcos. Porto, June 16, 1455.
PERG–340(D 22): A Christian “almocreve” (mule driver) named João Gonçalves requires the municipality’s permission to give part of a farm near the Jewish quarter’s gate that he had leased to Moisés Gatel, a Jewish “gibiteiro”, and his wife. Porto, April 3, 1467.
PERG–362(C 105): The municipality of Porto leases in perpetuity a farm near the Jewish quarter’s gate to Mestre Marcos and Samuel Saalom. Porto, December 14, 1474.
PERG–374(C 111): Abraão Benjamim sells a third of a house in the Jewish quarter that he had inherited from his father, Junça Benjamim, to his brother Moisés Benjamim. Porto, 1477. In the same year, Moisés Benjamim purchased the house’s remaining share from his other brother, Isaac Benjamim (PERG–381(C 115)).
PERG–401(C 121): Pedro Afonso de Aguiar, on behalf of the widow of Vasco Gil, a collector of warehouse rents, orders the sale of a house in the Jewish quarter belonging to Abraão Zarco, a Jewish merchant who owed 8,500 reais to Gil after he had rented the bread and meat taxes. Mestre José Marcos bought the house. Porto, July 19, 1479.
PERG–400(C 120): Mestre José, physician of the Duchess of Bragança and Guimarães, and his wife Aviziboa lease a house in the Jewish quarter to Salomão de Almeida and his wife Rica. Porto, August 3, 1479.
PERG–472(C153): The Jewish merchant Junça Benjamim purchased two houses in the Jewish quarter from his father-in-law Moisés Benjamim. Porto, May 30, 1495.
The collection also includes evidence of late-15th-century and early-16th-century transactions of estates previously belonging to Jews. It is the case of a house in Rua de S. Miguel that had been leased to a Jew named Santo Salvaterra and his mother-in-law, D. Velida Capeloa. On September 9, 1497, they renounced the contract, and the municipality of Porto leased the same house to a Christian couple, João Álvares Moeda and Maria Fernandes, on April 28, 1498 (PERG–486(C162)). In the same street, João Brandão, “contador régio” (royal accountant) in Porto, sold a house that had belonged to the Jewish “comuna” to a New Christian named Lourenço Pires in 1499 (PERG–495(B157)).
Most of these documents were transcribed and published in the early 20th century in volume 6 of Corpus Codicum (1948-1978).
Archival history
The Pergaminhos collection is part of the Câmara Municipal do Porto (municipality of Porto) fonds, the original fonds of the Arquivo Histórico Municipal do Porto, which preserves documentation produced by the city of Porto from the Middle Ages until the present times. In the 19th century, the collection of more than 600 parchments was bound in 8 volumes organised chronologically. Later, this collection was transcribed and published in Corpus Codicum (1915). In the 1990s, the parchments were submitted to a restoration process and reproduced in digital form. At the same time, a team of medievalists composed a catalogue of the collection, which was later transferred and adapted for the web platform GISA (http://gisaweb.cm-porto.pt/units-of-description/series/319086/?q=pergaminhos). It does not include the first volume of the Pergaminhos collection (Livro 1 de Pergaminhos).
Administrative / Biographical history
The origin of Porto's municipal administration dates back to the 13th century, when the city was under the authority of the bishop. The oldest document preserved in the Municipality of Porto fonds is a letter from 1286 sent by king D. Dinis to the prosecutor of the city council with a copy of the city charter (1123) attached.
In the mid-14th century, the municipal administrative structure already included "vereadores" (councilmen), judges, and prosecutors. Such structure became more and more complex throughout the following centuries. Also, the activity and functions of the city council were progressively regulated.
From 1369 to 1834, the Municipality of Porto's jurisdiction comprised the so-called "Termo do Porto", which included the territory currently corresponding to the municipalities of Matosinhos, Vila Nova de Gaia, Maia, Gondomar, Paredes, Penafiel and Santo Tirso. After 1834 and throughout the Liberal regime, the city council's jurisdiction, structure, and responsibilities were reformed. The position of "Juiz de fora" was replaced by the president of the Municipality. Also, the number of councilmen increased from 4 to 9, and the city services' organisation became more sophisticated.
After the implementation of the Republic in Portugal (1910), the city council suffered constant changes. After the 28 May 1926 coup d’état, the city council was dissolved and replaced by an administrative committee composed of military staff. Following the new Administrative Code of 1936-1940, the municipal administration's leadership was formed by the president nominated by the government and 12 elected councilmen. After the Revolution of 1974 and the Republic's new Constitution in 1976, the municipal administration was again organised. The Assembleia Municipal (Municipal Assembly) and Câmara Municipal (City Council) became the Municipality's representative bodies, both elected by universal suffrage.
In 1980, the Arquivo Histórico Municipal do Porto was founded and began to host all the documentation produced by the Municipality of Porto and various private archives and fonds.
In the mid-14th century, the municipal administrative structure already included "vereadores" (councilmen), judges, and prosecutors. Such structure became more and more complex throughout the following centuries. Also, the activity and functions of the city council were progressively regulated.
From 1369 to 1834, the Municipality of Porto's jurisdiction comprised the so-called "Termo do Porto", which included the territory currently corresponding to the municipalities of Matosinhos, Vila Nova de Gaia, Maia, Gondomar, Paredes, Penafiel and Santo Tirso. After 1834 and throughout the Liberal regime, the city council's jurisdiction, structure, and responsibilities were reformed. The position of "Juiz de fora" was replaced by the president of the Municipality. Also, the number of councilmen increased from 4 to 9, and the city services' organisation became more sophisticated.
After the implementation of the Republic in Portugal (1910), the city council suffered constant changes. After the 28 May 1926 coup d’état, the city council was dissolved and replaced by an administrative committee composed of military staff. Following the new Administrative Code of 1936-1940, the municipal administration's leadership was formed by the president nominated by the government and 12 elected councilmen. After the Revolution of 1974 and the Republic's new Constitution in 1976, the municipal administration was again organised. The Assembleia Municipal (Municipal Assembly) and Câmara Municipal (City Council) became the Municipality's representative bodies, both elected by universal suffrage.
In 1980, the Arquivo Histórico Municipal do Porto was founded and began to host all the documentation produced by the Municipality of Porto and various private archives and fonds.
Access points: locations
Access points: corporate bodies
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
System of arrangement
Pergaminhos is a series of the Arquivo Histórico Municipal do Porto. Records are arranged chronologically.
Access, restrictions
The access to the documents of the Pergaminhos collection is limited to their digital copies available online and in the archive’s reading room.
Finding aids
Descriptions and digital copies of the documents are available online, with the exception of the first book of the Pergaminhos collection, whose content was transcribed and published in Corpus Codicum (1948-1978).
Links to finding aids
Author of the description
Carla Vieira, 2021
Bibliography
Published primary sources
Linked resources
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| Title | Alternate label | Class |
|---|---|---|
| Arquivo Histórico Municipal do Porto | Collections (official language of the state) |