Livros dos Feitos Findos
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
http://antt.dglab.gov.pt/contactos/
https://digitarq.arquivos.pt/
Contact information: email
mail@dglab.gov.pt
Reference number
PT/TT/LFF
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (English)
Books of Deeds
Title (official language of the state)
Livros dos Feitos Findos
Language of title
por
Creator / accumulator
Arquivo da Casa da Coroa / Arquivo Nacional Torre do Tombo
Date(s)
1500/1877
Language(s)
por
Extent
245 books
Type of material
Textual Material
Physical condition
Good
Scope and content
The Livros dos Feitos Findos collection is composed of documents of several provenances and types, including indexes of deeds, record books of commercial houses, minutes of the City Council meetings, tax records, wills, etc.
Book 133 (PT/TT/LFF/0133) contains an 18th-century copy of the institution of the chantry of D. Isabel de Sousa (maid of D. Isabel, daughter of King Fernando and Queen Isabel of Spain and wife of Prince Afonso of Portugal and later of King Manuel I), which includes the transcription of several documents regarding properties related to the chantry. Two of these documents concern two "aforamentos" (emphyteusis contracts) of houses in the Judiaria Grande (major Jewish quarter) of Lisbon belonging to Aviziboa, wife of Abraão Polegar (who represents her in both contracts), a Jewish couple who lived in Sintra. In the first contract, dated from June 11, 1459, Polegar leased a house to Mousem Chichorro, a Jewish coppersmith. The contract was signed in the house of Mestre Vicim, the chief notary of the Portuguese Jewish "comunas" (communes). The second contract, dated from April 12, 1462, was signed in the residence of Abraão Manuel, the notary of the Jewish “comuna”, and the "foro" (leasing by emphyteusis contract) was given to Josepe Caro, "procurador do número" (proctor). Both documents mention the name of several Jews from the Lisbon community who lived in houses neighbouring those leased by Polegar, such as Mestre Moussem Ely, the physician of the Marquis of Valença; Mestre Moussem, a king's tailor; Judas Bixorda; and Josepe Alfaqui, a "jubeteiro" (hawker). Some of the witnesses of both contracts were also Jews, such as Judas Cordilha, a blacksmith; Manoel Azeeri, a tailor; Daniel Colodro; Mousem Chichola, a "jubeteiro"; Josepe Franco, a winegrower; Rabi Joce Nasim; and Faym Tiboba, another "jubeteiro".
We thank Pedro Pinto for bringing these records to our attention.
Book 133 (PT/TT/LFF/0133) contains an 18th-century copy of the institution of the chantry of D. Isabel de Sousa (maid of D. Isabel, daughter of King Fernando and Queen Isabel of Spain and wife of Prince Afonso of Portugal and later of King Manuel I), which includes the transcription of several documents regarding properties related to the chantry. Two of these documents concern two "aforamentos" (emphyteusis contracts) of houses in the Judiaria Grande (major Jewish quarter) of Lisbon belonging to Aviziboa, wife of Abraão Polegar (who represents her in both contracts), a Jewish couple who lived in Sintra. In the first contract, dated from June 11, 1459, Polegar leased a house to Mousem Chichorro, a Jewish coppersmith. The contract was signed in the house of Mestre Vicim, the chief notary of the Portuguese Jewish "comunas" (communes). The second contract, dated from April 12, 1462, was signed in the residence of Abraão Manuel, the notary of the Jewish “comuna”, and the "foro" (leasing by emphyteusis contract) was given to Josepe Caro, "procurador do número" (proctor). Both documents mention the name of several Jews from the Lisbon community who lived in houses neighbouring those leased by Polegar, such as Mestre Moussem Ely, the physician of the Marquis of Valença; Mestre Moussem, a king's tailor; Judas Bixorda; and Josepe Alfaqui, a "jubeteiro" (hawker). Some of the witnesses of both contracts were also Jews, such as Judas Cordilha, a blacksmith; Manoel Azeeri, a tailor; Daniel Colodro; Mousem Chichola, a "jubeteiro"; Josepe Franco, a winegrower; Rabi Joce Nasim; and Faym Tiboba, another "jubeteiro".
We thank Pedro Pinto for bringing these records to our attention.
Archival history
Most records of the Livro dos Feitos Findos collection are judicial processes, mainly from the Tribunal da Relação de Lisboa (Supreme Court of Lisbon), previously named Supremo Tribunal do Reino Português (Supreme Court of the Portuguese Kingdom). In 1834, following the reforms of justice made by the Liberal governments, several records from the Court were analysed and some were sent to other institutions. In 1887, most documents that had remained in the Court were transferred to the former Convent of Estrela, in Lisbon. In the convent, the records occupied a 67 metres corridor, 16 cells and a spacious room. The poor conditions in the convent to safeguard the documentation led to damages to some items. In 1912, efforts were made to reorganise and catalogue the documentation stored in the Convent of Estrela, in order to prepare its transference to the National Archive of Torre do Tombo. In 1915, this group of documents was named Arquivo dos Feitos Findos. Many records were found incomplete and difficult to organise chronologically and geographically.
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: persons, families
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
System of arrangement
There is no system or arrangement. The material is kept in order of incorporation.
Access, restrictions
No restrictions, except for records in poor condition or available in digital format.
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| Title | Alternate label | Class |
|---|---|---|
| Arquivo Nacional da Torre do Tombo | Collections (official language of the state) |