Aclamações e Cortes
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/ACRT
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (English)
Acclamations and National Assemblies
Title (official language of the state)
Aclamações e Cortes
Language of title
por
Creator / accumulator
Arquivo da Casa da Coroa / Arquivo Nacional Torre do Tombo
Date(s)
1331/1832
Language(s)
por
Extent
37 books, 34 boxes and 27 bundles
Type of material
Textual Material
Physical condition
Good
Scope and content
The Aclamações e Cortes collection contains documents from and referring to the "Cortes" (national assemblies that gathered representatives of the nobility, the clergy and the people with the purpose of advising the king on legislation), including its "capítulos" (chapters, petitions). The collection also gathers oaths, acclamations and tributes to kings, among other records related to the royal office.
In these documents, it is possible to find complaints against Jews, discussions and laws to regulate the Jewish daily life, within other materials regarding the Jewish communities in Portugal and their interaction with authorities and the Christian majority. Some examples are the following:
PT/TT/ACRT/3/1/30: request from the representatives of the municipality of Santarém in the Cortes of Estremoz in 1416 to change the location of the "judiaria" (Jewish quarter) from the main street of the city to another place.
PT/TT/ACRT/2/2/14 fol. 4v: petition approved in the Cortes of 1451 by King Afonso V forbidding Jews to wear silk.
PT/TT/ACRT/1/00118 fols. 172v-173: a 1482 law by King João II regulating Jewish and Muslim clothing, prohibiting the Jews once again to wear silk and forcing them to wear a distinctive badge.
Several other records related to the Portuguese Jewish communities before the late 15th century can be found throughout the chapters of "Cortes", held over the different reigns.
In these documents, it is possible to find complaints against Jews, discussions and laws to regulate the Jewish daily life, within other materials regarding the Jewish communities in Portugal and their interaction with authorities and the Christian majority. Some examples are the following:
PT/TT/ACRT/3/1/30: request from the representatives of the municipality of Santarém in the Cortes of Estremoz in 1416 to change the location of the "judiaria" (Jewish quarter) from the main street of the city to another place.
PT/TT/ACRT/2/2/14 fol. 4v: petition approved in the Cortes of 1451 by King Afonso V forbidding Jews to wear silk.
PT/TT/ACRT/1/00118 fols. 172v-173: a 1482 law by King João II regulating Jewish and Muslim clothing, prohibiting the Jews once again to wear silk and forcing them to wear a distinctive badge.
Several other records related to the Portuguese Jewish communities before the late 15th century can be found throughout the chapters of "Cortes", held over the different reigns.
Archival history
The “Cortes” were assemblies of the three estates (clergy, nobility and the Third Estate) gathered by the king, who usually pre-established the topics to be discussed. Each member of each estate could bring other subjects to be considered either in a general discussion or in a particular dialogue between them and the king. Their requests were organised in articles, named "capítulos" (chapters) after 1406. The "capítulos" accepted by the king became law.
The representatives of the clergy were the bishops, representatives of cathedral chapters and the superiors of religious orders. The nobility had a specified group of representatives, and the Third Estate was represented by the "procuradores dos concelhos" (representatives of the city councils), chosen within the municipalities.
This collection was assembled by Manuel da Maia, "guarda-mor" (royal guard) of the Torre do Tombo between 1754 and 1768, who compiled all documentation resulting from the “Cortes”. Three books of the registry were included in the extinguished Núcleo Antigo collection, but they were recently integrated into this collection, following the original organisation.
The representatives of the clergy were the bishops, representatives of cathedral chapters and the superiors of religious orders. The nobility had a specified group of representatives, and the Third Estate was represented by the "procuradores dos concelhos" (representatives of the city councils), chosen within the municipalities.
This collection was assembled by Manuel da Maia, "guarda-mor" (royal guard) of the Torre do Tombo between 1754 and 1768, who compiled all documentation resulting from the “Cortes”. Three books of the registry were included in the extinguished Núcleo Antigo collection, but they were recently integrated into this collection, following the original organisation.
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: subject terms
Access points: document types
System of arrangement
This collection is divided into five series, organized by chronological order for the most part.
Access, restrictions
Some documents are available online. The originals of these documents are not available for consultation.
Finding aids
Unpublished finding aids available in the Torre do Tombo:
Coutinho, João Pereira de Azeredo. 1776. "Núcleo Antigo: inventário". Manuscript inventory of the Núcleo Antigo collection. (L 299A)
Figueiredo, A. Mesquita. 1936. "Cortes Antigas". Thematic index of Cortes' copies. (L 235)
Published finding aids:
Links to finding aids
Author of the description
Inês de Sá, 2021
Bibliography
Published primary sources
Linked resources
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| Title | Alternate label | Class |
|---|---|---|
| Arquivo Nacional da Torre do Tombo | Collections (official language of the state) |