Colecção de Manuscritos
Item
Country
PT
Name of institution (English)
Braga District Archive
Name of institution (official language of the state)
Language of name of institution
por
Contact information: postal address
Rua do Abade da Loureira, 4700-356 Braga
Contact information: phone number
00351 253 601 082 (general)
00351 253 601 080 (research and reproduction services)
00351 253 601 080 (research and reproduction services)
Contact information: web address
Contact information: email
sec@adb.uminho.pt (general)
adb@adb.uminho.pt (research and reproduction services)
adb@adb.uminho.pt (research and reproduction services)
Reference number
PT/ADB/COL/MS
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (English)
Manuscripts' Collection
Title (official language of the state)
Colecção de Manuscritos
Language of title
por
Creator / accumulator
Arquivo Distrital de Braga
Date note
circa 1130/1917
Language(s)
lat
por
Extent
1,100 storage units
Type of material
Textual Material
Physical condition
Satisfactory
Scope and content
The Colecção de Manuscritos contains books and documents of diverse typologies, subjects, and provenance. Literature, philosophy, theology, history, polemics, music, and genealogy constitute some of the matters present in this miscellaneous collection. It includes several copies of diplomatic correspondence, where some evidence of the Jewish communities of the Western Sephardic Diaspora can be found, in particular, letters by D. Luís da Cunha (1662-1749), Alexandre de Gusmão (1695-1753), and José da Cunha Brochado (1651-1733). The Colecção de Manuscritos also comprises several records from or related to the Portuguese Inquisition, some of them regarding New Christian defendants and documentation on the general pardon's negotiations. For instance, there are a few copies of extracts of Dr António Homem's case (docs. 100-J; 637-4; 850-6D). The collection also contains several manuscript copies of Padre António Vieira's writings, some related to the New Christian question (e.g. docs. 68-11, 366, 496, 528, 583).
Archival history
As the Colecção de Manuscritos comprises manuscript documents that entered the Arquivo Distrital de Braga over the years, they have diverse provenances and backgrounds. Many of them were part of the registries of extinct convents and monasteries.
Some have been reorganised and separated from the Colecção de Manuscritos, such as António Nunes Ribeiro Sanches' writings, which were gathered in a separate collection. However, most of them continued to be incorporated into this miscellaneous collection without a specific organisation by provenance or creator.
Some have been reorganised and separated from the Colecção de Manuscritos, such as António Nunes Ribeiro Sanches' writings, which were gathered in a separate collection. However, most of them continued to be incorporated into this miscellaneous collection without a specific organisation by provenance or creator.
Administrative / Biographical history
The Arquivo Distrital de Braga (Braga District Archive) was founded on August 11, 1917. It initially integrated several fonds, among them those belonging to religious orders and ecclesiastical institutions whose assets were nationalised after the establishment of the Republic in Portugal and the law of separation of State and Church in 1911.
During the first few years, the Arquivo Distrital de Braga's collections were dispersed among three buildings with no conditions. Only in 1934 was the archive transferred to the former Paço do Arcebispo (Archbishop Palace).
In 1976, both the Arquivo Distrital and the Biblioteca Pública (Public Library) of Braga were incorporated in the Universidade do Minho (University of Minho). At present, the archive is located in a building belonging to the University of Minho that was renovated and inaugurated in 2017.
The Arquivo Distrital de Braga is the second biggest district archive in Portugal and owns the most important Portuguese ecclesiastical collection: the Cartório do Cabido de Braga.
During the first few years, the Arquivo Distrital de Braga's collections were dispersed among three buildings with no conditions. Only in 1934 was the archive transferred to the former Paço do Arcebispo (Archbishop Palace).
In 1976, both the Arquivo Distrital and the Biblioteca Pública (Public Library) of Braga were incorporated in the Universidade do Minho (University of Minho). At present, the archive is located in a building belonging to the University of Minho that was renovated and inaugurated in 2017.
The Arquivo Distrital de Braga is the second biggest district archive in Portugal and owns the most important Portuguese ecclesiastical collection: the Cartório do Cabido de Braga.
Access points: locations
Access points: persons, families
Access points: corporate bodies
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
System of arrangement
Several storage units are arranged by physical dimension and organised by sequential numbering.
Access, restrictions
Access is free but conditioned to the records' physical condition.
Finding aids
A digital database of the collection's records is available in the reading room's computers.
Author of the description
Carla Vieira, 2021
Linked resources
Filter by property
| Title | Alternate label | Class |
|---|---|---|
| Arquivo Distrital de Braga | Collections (official language of the state) |