Incunábulos
Item
Country
PT
Name of institution (English)
National Library of Portugal
Name of institution (official language of the state)
Language of name of institution
por
Contact information: postal address
Campo Grande, 83, 1749-081 Lisbon
Contact information: phone number
00351 217 982 000
Contact information: web address
Contact information: email
bn@bnportugal.gov.pt
Reference number
INC.
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (English)
Incunabula
Title (official language of the state)
Incunábulos
Language of title
por
Creator / accumulator
Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal
Date(s)
1454/1500
Language(s)
heb
lat
por
Extent
1,597 volumes
Type of material
Textual Material
Physical condition
Satisfactory
Scope and content
The Incunábulos collection comprises works printed between 1454 and 1500, including a copy of the Gutenberg Bible.
It includes some books printed in Jewish printing houses in Portugal before the late-15th century expulsion of the Jews. They are the following:
INC. 551: Perush Ha-Torah. Nahmanides' Commentary on the Pentateuch. Lisbon: Elieser Toledano, 1489.
INC. 552: Hamishah Humshe Torah. Pentateuch with Targum Onkelos. 2 volumes. Lisbon: Elieser Toledano, 1491
INC. 1413: Hebrew Bible: Isaiah and Jeremiah books, with David Kimhi's Commentary. Lisbon: Elieser Toledano, 1492.
INC. 1412: Fragment of Masechet Gittin (Tractate of Gittin) with commentary by Rashi. Faro: Samuel Gacon (or Samuel Porteiro), 1492 or 1496.
INC. 1414 and INC. 1415: Nevi'im Rishonim. Former Prophets: Commentary by David Kimhi and Levi ben Gershom. Leiria: Samuel d'Ortas and sons, 1494.
The collection also includes a copy of the Sidur Tefilot, edited by Moshe ben Shem Tov ibn Habib from Lisbon, printed by Joshua Solomon Soncino in Naples in 1490 (INC. 323).
Digital copies of these incunabula are available online:
It includes some books printed in Jewish printing houses in Portugal before the late-15th century expulsion of the Jews. They are the following:
INC. 551: Perush Ha-Torah. Nahmanides' Commentary on the Pentateuch. Lisbon: Elieser Toledano, 1489.
INC. 552: Hamishah Humshe Torah. Pentateuch with Targum Onkelos. 2 volumes. Lisbon: Elieser Toledano, 1491
INC. 1413: Hebrew Bible: Isaiah and Jeremiah books, with David Kimhi's Commentary. Lisbon: Elieser Toledano, 1492.
INC. 1412: Fragment of Masechet Gittin (Tractate of Gittin) with commentary by Rashi. Faro: Samuel Gacon (or Samuel Porteiro), 1492 or 1496.
INC. 1414 and INC. 1415: Nevi'im Rishonim. Former Prophets: Commentary by David Kimhi and Levi ben Gershom. Leiria: Samuel d'Ortas and sons, 1494.
The collection also includes a copy of the Sidur Tefilot, edited by Moshe ben Shem Tov ibn Habib from Lisbon, printed by Joshua Solomon Soncino in Naples in 1490 (INC. 323).
Digital copies of these incunabula are available online:
Archival history
Most of the Incunábulos collection's contents are from libraries of extinct convents whose collections were incorporated in the Biblioteca Nacional in 1841. Other items came from private libraries and were acquired or donated to the Biblioteca Nacional over the years.
According to Moses Amzalak, the Biblioteca Nacional acquired the copy of Isaiah and Jeremiah books, with David Kimhi's Commentary, printed in Lisbon in 1492 (INC. 1413) in the Rosenthal bookshop in Munich.
The six Hebrew incunabula printed in Portugal were restored between 2007 and 2010, sponsored by David Halpern and Nathan Mucznik.
According to Moses Amzalak, the Biblioteca Nacional acquired the copy of Isaiah and Jeremiah books, with David Kimhi's Commentary, printed in Lisbon in 1492 (INC. 1413) in the Rosenthal bookshop in Munich.
The six Hebrew incunabula printed in Portugal were restored between 2007 and 2010, sponsored by David Halpern and Nathan Mucznik.
Administrative / Biographical history
The royal charter of February 29, 1796, founded the Real Biblioteca Pública da Corte (Royal Public Library of the Court), which integrated the collection of the Library of the Real Mesa Censória (Royal Board of Censorship). Its facilities were located in the Torreão Ocidental of the Praça do Comércio.
Since the issue of the first law of legal deposit in 1805, the Real Biblioteca began to receive copies of all the works printed in Portugal. After the Liberal Revolution and the extinction of the religious orders (1834), it was renamed Biblioteca Nacional de Lisboa (National Library of Lisbon) and incorporated whole or part of libraries of several monasteries and convents. The increase in its collection led to the change of its facilities to the Convent of S. Francisco in Chiado.
Following the proclamation of the Republic in Portugal (1910), the National Library incorporated libraries of religious congregations then extinct. Again, the growing collection and the need to provide it with appropriate conservation conditions forced a new change of facilities. From 1958 to 1969, a new building was constructed in the Campo Grande, Lisbon, according to a project of the architect Porfírio Pardal Monteiro. This still is the headquarters of the Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal at present.
In the 1980s, the Library's computerisation process began, which resulted in the National Bibliographic Database – PORBASE. At the beginning of the 21st century, the National Library created the Biblioteca Nacional Digital (BND), which provides digital copies of several items in its collections. The BND is in constant growth, in articulation with other European institutions.
Since the issue of the first law of legal deposit in 1805, the Real Biblioteca began to receive copies of all the works printed in Portugal. After the Liberal Revolution and the extinction of the religious orders (1834), it was renamed Biblioteca Nacional de Lisboa (National Library of Lisbon) and incorporated whole or part of libraries of several monasteries and convents. The increase in its collection led to the change of its facilities to the Convent of S. Francisco in Chiado.
Following the proclamation of the Republic in Portugal (1910), the National Library incorporated libraries of religious congregations then extinct. Again, the growing collection and the need to provide it with appropriate conservation conditions forced a new change of facilities. From 1958 to 1969, a new building was constructed in the Campo Grande, Lisbon, according to a project of the architect Porfírio Pardal Monteiro. This still is the headquarters of the Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal at present.
In the 1980s, the Library's computerisation process began, which resulted in the National Bibliographic Database – PORBASE. At the beginning of the 21st century, the National Library created the Biblioteca Nacional Digital (BND), which provides digital copies of several items in its collections. The BND is in constant growth, in articulation with other European institutions.
Access points: locations
Access points: persons, families
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
System of arrangement
Records are arranged sequentially.
Access, restrictions
Digital copies are available online.
Finding aids
Links to finding aids
Author of the description
Carla Vieira, 2021
Bibliography
Linked resources
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