Universidade de Coimbra
Item
Country
PT
Name of institution (English)
University of Coimbra Archive
Name of institution (official language of the state)
Language of name of institution
por
Contact information: postal address
Rua de S. Pedro 2, 3000-370 Coimbra
Contact information: phone number
00351 239859855
Contact information: web address
Contact information: email
auc-geral@auc.uc.pt
Reference number
PT/AUC/ELU/UC
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (English)
University of Coimbra
Title (official language of the state)
Universidade de Coimbra
Language of title
por
Creator / accumulator
Universidade de Coimbra
Date(s)
1290/2001
Language(s)
deu
eng
fra
lat
por
spa
Extent
8,150 boxes, 443 dossiers, 10,744 books, 1,616 bundles, 1,645 rolls and 474 folders
Type of material
Textual Material
Physical condition
Satisfactory
Scope and content
The Universidade de Coimbra fonds comprises several documentary series that record the history of the University and its academic body (professors and students) and staff over the seven centuries of its history. Several New Christians, some of them who later moved to the Western Sephardic Diaspora destinations, graduated or taught at the University of Coimbra. Isaac de Sequeira Samuda (1681–1729), António Nunes Ribeiro Sanches (1699-1783), Jacob de Castro Sarmento (1691-1762), and António José da Silva (1705-1739) are examples of remarkable New Christian/Jewish physicians who studied in Coimbra. The Universidade de Coimbra fonds provides precious documentary material to trace the academic path of these New Christians and Portuguese Jews since it includes enrolment books, examination and grades records, terms of tenure of teachers and officials, council minute books, teachers' and officials' files, etc. The Livros de Actas e Graus (Minutes and Grades Books) and the Livros de Matrículas (Enrollment Books) series are particularly relevant to map the academic career of Coimbra's students. They are organised chronologically (the catalogues are available online on the Arquivo da Universidade de Coimbra website) and contain records since 1573 (Livro de Matrículas) and 1579 (Livro de Actas e Graus). A research guideline on these and other series of the Universidade de Coimbra fonds was composed by Ana Maria Leitão, and it is also available on the archive's website.
In 1996, a catalogue of a documentary exhibition in the Arquivo da Universidade de Coimbra on the Portuguese Jewish diaspora (Os Judeus Portugueses em 500 anos de diáspora (1496-1996). Herança de uma nação, esperança de um povo. Exposição documental. Coimbra: Arquivo da Universidade de Coimbra, 1996) mapped out a few materials related to New Christians who taught at the University of Coimbra, such as the mathematician André de Avelar (1546-c.1623) or the physicians Tomás Rodrigues da Veiga (1513-1579) and Ambrósio Nunes (1529-1611), as well as several documents concerning Coimbra's professors and students who were prosecuted by the Inquisition. Maybe the most notorious case was that of António Homem, professor at the Canon Law School, who was burned at the stake in 1624. The Universidade de Coimbra fonds preserves various documents related to his Inquisition's trial and academic career.
In 1996, a catalogue of a documentary exhibition in the Arquivo da Universidade de Coimbra on the Portuguese Jewish diaspora (Os Judeus Portugueses em 500 anos de diáspora (1496-1996). Herança de uma nação, esperança de um povo. Exposição documental. Coimbra: Arquivo da Universidade de Coimbra, 1996) mapped out a few materials related to New Christians who taught at the University of Coimbra, such as the mathematician André de Avelar (1546-c.1623) or the physicians Tomás Rodrigues da Veiga (1513-1579) and Ambrósio Nunes (1529-1611), as well as several documents concerning Coimbra's professors and students who were prosecuted by the Inquisition. Maybe the most notorious case was that of António Homem, professor at the Canon Law School, who was burned at the stake in 1624. The Universidade de Coimbra fonds preserves various documents related to his Inquisition's trial and academic career.
Archival history
The Universidade de Coimbra fonds is part of the original collection of the Arquivo da Universidade de Coimbra. It was subject to archival processing on several occasions from its original production to the present. It received the archival organisation proposed by the historian João Pedro Ribeiro in 1798, according to a model of geographical arrangement. In the 19th century, the fonds underwent various vicissitudes, and the documentation was disorganised. Part of the Medieval numbering was truncated after Alexandre Herculano removed various parchments from the archive and sent them to the Arquivo Nacional da Torre do Tombo in 1853. Among these documents were not only those from the Universidade de Coimbra fonds but also from other collections incorporated in the University's registry.
In 1897, Dr. António de Vasconcelos, who was appointed the first director of the archive in 1901, was chosen to coordinate the archive's reorganisation, but he could not complete this process. From 1900 to 1908, Canon Prudêncio Quintino Garcia worked on reorganising the registry, summarising, and ordering royal provisions and pontifical documentation (bulls, breves, apostolic letters).
In 1897, Dr. António de Vasconcelos, who was appointed the first director of the archive in 1901, was chosen to coordinate the archive's reorganisation, but he could not complete this process. From 1900 to 1908, Canon Prudêncio Quintino Garcia worked on reorganising the registry, summarising, and ordering royal provisions and pontifical documentation (bulls, breves, apostolic letters).
Administrative / Biographical history
The origins of the Universidade of Coimbra date back to March 1, 1290, when King Dinis I issued a decree creating an earlier university, the Estudo Geral, in Lisbon. On August 9, 1290, the papal bull "De statu regni Portugaliae" authorised all courses in the University except Theology, which was only introduced later. Civil Law, Canon Law, Grammar, Logic, Natural Philosophy, and Medicine were the original subjects taught in the University. Later, at the time of Portuguese overseas expansion, Astronomy and Mathematics also became part of the academic program.
In 1537, King João III ordered its definitive transfer to Coimbra, and the university became then known as the Universidade de Coimbra.
The University was composed of the Schools of Theology, Medicine, Law, and Canon Law. In 1772, the Pombaline reform also introduced the Schools of Mathematics and Philosophy. The School of Canon Law (Faculdade de Cânones) was extinguished in 1836. In 1911, the School of Arts and Humanities (Faculdade de Letras) was founded.
The Universidade de Coimbra had private jurisdiction and its own patrimonial assets. It also benefitted from the right of padroado (patronage) until 1833. Therefore, several churches ended up being attached to the University, which at one point had the right of padroado over up to 100 churches. The result was a vast patrimony composed of rural and urban estates. The extinction of the Society of Jesus in 1773 and the incorporation of its assets in the Universidade de Coimbra increased this patrimony. In 1835, the University's assets integrated the Bens Próprios Nacionais (National Assets).
In 1773, the University gained its own printing house, the Real Imprensa da Universidade. Other structures annexed to the University were created during this time and following the Pombaline reform of its statutes, such as the Botanic Garden, the Natural History Museum, and the Astronomic Observatory in 1772, and the Chemistry Laboratory in 1775.
The Pombaline reform also separated the University's bureau registry (where the records on the institution's history and academic life were stored) from the treasury registry. The registry became a public archive in 1848. In 1901, it became an autonomous department of the University and António Vasconcelos was appointed as the archive's first director. The archive was transferred to the current building in 1948.
In 1537, King João III ordered its definitive transfer to Coimbra, and the university became then known as the Universidade de Coimbra.
The University was composed of the Schools of Theology, Medicine, Law, and Canon Law. In 1772, the Pombaline reform also introduced the Schools of Mathematics and Philosophy. The School of Canon Law (Faculdade de Cânones) was extinguished in 1836. In 1911, the School of Arts and Humanities (Faculdade de Letras) was founded.
The Universidade de Coimbra had private jurisdiction and its own patrimonial assets. It also benefitted from the right of padroado (patronage) until 1833. Therefore, several churches ended up being attached to the University, which at one point had the right of padroado over up to 100 churches. The result was a vast patrimony composed of rural and urban estates. The extinction of the Society of Jesus in 1773 and the incorporation of its assets in the Universidade de Coimbra increased this patrimony. In 1835, the University's assets integrated the Bens Próprios Nacionais (National Assets).
In 1773, the University gained its own printing house, the Real Imprensa da Universidade. Other structures annexed to the University were created during this time and following the Pombaline reform of its statutes, such as the Botanic Garden, the Natural History Museum, and the Astronomic Observatory in 1772, and the Chemistry Laboratory in 1775.
The Pombaline reform also separated the University's bureau registry (where the records on the institution's history and academic life were stored) from the treasury registry. The registry became a public archive in 1848. In 1901, it became an autonomous department of the University and António Vasconcelos was appointed as the archive's first director. The archive was transferred to the current building in 1948.
Access points: locations
Access points: persons, families
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
System of arrangement
The Universidade de Coimbra fonds is organised into 28 series, 2 sections (Capela da Universidade and Fazenda da Universidade) and 4 subfonds (Escola/Faculdade de Farmácia, Faculdade de Letras, Hospitais da Universidade de Coimbra and Real Colégio de São Pedro). Records are arranged chronologically.
Finding aids
There are various unpublished finding aids, regarding the different fonds' collections, searchable in the archive's reading room:
Links to finding aids
Author of the description
Mariana Lourenço dos Reis, 2021
Bibliography
Linked resources
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| Title | Alternate label | Class |
|---|---|---|
| Arquivo da Universidade de Coimbra | Collections (official language of the state) |