Mosteiro de Santa Maria da Vitória da Batalha
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/MSMVB
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (English)
Monastery of Santa Maria da Vitória da Batalha
Title (official language of the state)
Mosteiro de Santa Maria da Vitória da Batalha
Language of title
por
Creator / accumulator
Mosteiro de Santa Maria da Vitória da Batalha
Date(s)
1359/1834
Language(s)
por
lat
Extent
8 books and 2 bundles
Type of material
Textual Material
Physical condition
Good
Scope and content
The Mosteiro de Santa Maria da Vitória da Batalha fonds comprises documentation related to and produced by this monastery in the town of Batalha, in central Portugal. It contains property records, inventories of assets, revenue and expense books, royal letters, donations, sentences, wills, and documents related to the daily life of the monastery.
Book 4 (PT/TT/MSMVB/L004), entitled "Vários pergaminhos da Vargem e Pinheiro" (several parchments from Vargem and Pinheiro), which is a manufactured codex with several deeds, sentences and other types of records regarding the monastery's properties. It also includes some pieces of evidence on the Jewish communities of Leiria and Porto de Mós. The following are some examples:
No. 154: The proxy of the monastery of Santa Maria da Vitória took possession of some houses in the "judiaria" (Jewish quarter) of Leiria, next to other houses where Salomão Vivas, a dyer, and Isaque Savamel, both Jews, lived. May 2, 1447.
No. 173: "Emprazamento" (emphyteusis contract) of a yard and a well in Beco do Terreiro, in Leiria, to Isaque Çadas, a Jewish shoemaker, under the condition of constructing a building there.
These properties were located next to the houses of Isaac Çadis and Salomão Vivas, both Jews. May 19, 1447.
No. 155: "Emprazamento" of a house in the Jewish quarter of Leiria to Mestre (master) Bulhamim, a Jew, for two gold "dobras" (currency) per year. August 19, 1449.
No. 156: "Emprazamento" of house in the Jewish quarter of Leiria to Isaque Falcão, a Jewish tailor, for one gold "dobra" per year.
The house was next to another leased to Mestre Bulhamim (no. 155) and to the house where another Jew named Mecim lived. August 9, 1449.
No. 161: "Emprazamento" of a house and of the adjoining yard in the Jewish quarter of Leiria to Jacob Gordilha, a Jewish carpenter.
The house was next to others leased to Isaque Falcão (no. 156). August 19, 1449.
No. 166: "Emprazamento" of a house in the Jewish quarter of Leiria to Josepe João, a Jewish tailor. The house was next to another where Jacob Gordilha (no. 161) and Pichel, a Jewish blacksmith, lived. August 19, 1449.
No. 9: "Emprazamento" of a house in the Jewish quarter of Leiria to Mousem de Alva, a Jewish merchant, and his wife Rinas. The house was located next to the Rua da Judiaria (Jewish quarter street) and to the house where Jacob Gordilha lived (no. 161). November 7, 1465.
No. 33: Brites Eanes, wife of João de Lisboa, who had been a secretary to Prince D. Pedro, Duke of Coimbra, sold to the Monastery of Santa Maria da Vitória certain pieces of salt that she had in Alcanada, in the outskirts of Batalha. Among the witnesses of this sale was Moisés Masondra, a Jewish tenant of the monastery. November 13, 1465.
No. 277: Luís Eanes and his wife Margarida Rodrigues sold a house in the parish of São Pedro in Porto de Mós to Moisés de Pinhel and his wife Lediça, José Anafaz and his wife Viziboa, and Hain (or Fraym) Cobronbel and his wife Lediça, all Jews, for 1,000 reais brancos (currency). March 16, 1475. On the back of this document, there is another record reporting that Moisés Pinhel and Hain Cobronbel refused to deliver to Abraham and Moisés Faras, son and son-in-law of Judas, the aforementioned sale deed to be kept in the ark of the Jewish "comuna" (commune) of Porto de Mós. The latter bought the house to serve as a synagogue, but, at the time, they had not yet paid the amount they had promised for it. January 31, 1476.
No. 151: João Coque, a merchant, and his wife Catarina Afonso, sold two olive groves near Leiria to the Monastery of Santa Maria da Vitória for 18,000 reais brancos. One of the olive groves was next to the Jewish cemetery of Leiria. May 24, 1477.
Book 4 (PT/TT/MSMVB/L004), entitled "Vários pergaminhos da Vargem e Pinheiro" (several parchments from Vargem and Pinheiro), which is a manufactured codex with several deeds, sentences and other types of records regarding the monastery's properties. It also includes some pieces of evidence on the Jewish communities of Leiria and Porto de Mós. The following are some examples:
No. 154: The proxy of the monastery of Santa Maria da Vitória took possession of some houses in the "judiaria" (Jewish quarter) of Leiria, next to other houses where Salomão Vivas, a dyer, and Isaque Savamel, both Jews, lived. May 2, 1447.
No. 173: "Emprazamento" (emphyteusis contract) of a yard and a well in Beco do Terreiro, in Leiria, to Isaque Çadas, a Jewish shoemaker, under the condition of constructing a building there.
These properties were located next to the houses of Isaac Çadis and Salomão Vivas, both Jews. May 19, 1447.
No. 155: "Emprazamento" of a house in the Jewish quarter of Leiria to Mestre (master) Bulhamim, a Jew, for two gold "dobras" (currency) per year. August 19, 1449.
No. 156: "Emprazamento" of house in the Jewish quarter of Leiria to Isaque Falcão, a Jewish tailor, for one gold "dobra" per year.
The house was next to another leased to Mestre Bulhamim (no. 155) and to the house where another Jew named Mecim lived. August 9, 1449.
No. 161: "Emprazamento" of a house and of the adjoining yard in the Jewish quarter of Leiria to Jacob Gordilha, a Jewish carpenter.
The house was next to others leased to Isaque Falcão (no. 156). August 19, 1449.
No. 166: "Emprazamento" of a house in the Jewish quarter of Leiria to Josepe João, a Jewish tailor. The house was next to another where Jacob Gordilha (no. 161) and Pichel, a Jewish blacksmith, lived. August 19, 1449.
No. 9: "Emprazamento" of a house in the Jewish quarter of Leiria to Mousem de Alva, a Jewish merchant, and his wife Rinas. The house was located next to the Rua da Judiaria (Jewish quarter street) and to the house where Jacob Gordilha lived (no. 161). November 7, 1465.
No. 33: Brites Eanes, wife of João de Lisboa, who had been a secretary to Prince D. Pedro, Duke of Coimbra, sold to the Monastery of Santa Maria da Vitória certain pieces of salt that she had in Alcanada, in the outskirts of Batalha. Among the witnesses of this sale was Moisés Masondra, a Jewish tenant of the monastery. November 13, 1465.
No. 277: Luís Eanes and his wife Margarida Rodrigues sold a house in the parish of São Pedro in Porto de Mós to Moisés de Pinhel and his wife Lediça, José Anafaz and his wife Viziboa, and Hain (or Fraym) Cobronbel and his wife Lediça, all Jews, for 1,000 reais brancos (currency). March 16, 1475. On the back of this document, there is another record reporting that Moisés Pinhel and Hain Cobronbel refused to deliver to Abraham and Moisés Faras, son and son-in-law of Judas, the aforementioned sale deed to be kept in the ark of the Jewish "comuna" (commune) of Porto de Mós. The latter bought the house to serve as a synagogue, but, at the time, they had not yet paid the amount they had promised for it. January 31, 1476.
No. 151: João Coque, a merchant, and his wife Catarina Afonso, sold two olive groves near Leiria to the Monastery of Santa Maria da Vitória for 18,000 reais brancos. One of the olive groves was next to the Jewish cemetery of Leiria. May 24, 1477.
Archival history
At the beginning of the 20th century, the documents that compose the Mosteiro de Santa Maria da Vitória da Batalha fonds were stored in the Biblioteca Nacional (National Library). In 1912, they were transferred to the National Archive of Torre do Tombo. In the late 1990s, the ecclesiastic records preserved in the Torre Tombo, including those belonging to the Monastery of Santa Maria da Vitória, were rearranged. Thus, it was adopted an organisation by religious order instead of the previous geographical arrangement.
Administrative / Biographical history
One of most important monasteries in Portugal, the Monastery of Santa Maria da Vitória da Batalha, was built after the Battle of Aljubarrota. D. João de Avis (later King João I) had made a vow to Virgin Mary, promising to build a monastery if his troops won the battle against the forces of the King of Castile. The battle was successful.
The monastery was also symbolic as it represented the power and legitimacy of the new dynasty that started with King João I. Therefore, the graves of a few members of this family can be found there. The architectural project was so ambitious and majestic that it took almost two centuries for the monastery to be built. It is considered the best example of Gothic architecture in Portugal.
The monastery was given to the Dominicans, as the king’s confessor was a Dominican friar. However, it was always dependent on the Crown, and it was never able to have real autonomous power and influence. Still, the monastery played an important role as a cultural centre.
The Great Earthquake of 1755 and the French Invasions in the early 19th century caused some damage to the monastery. In 1834, religious orders and conventual life in Portugal were extinguished by a decree from the Liberal government. The monastery was then abandoned and its assets were incorporated in the National Treasury. A few years later, some restorations were made to the degraded monastery that lasted until the 20th century. In 1983, the Monastery of Batalha was proclaimed UNESCO World Heritage Site. Nowadays, it is incorporated in the Direção-Geral do Património Cultural (General Administration of the Cultural Heritage).
The monastery was also symbolic as it represented the power and legitimacy of the new dynasty that started with King João I. Therefore, the graves of a few members of this family can be found there. The architectural project was so ambitious and majestic that it took almost two centuries for the monastery to be built. It is considered the best example of Gothic architecture in Portugal.
The monastery was given to the Dominicans, as the king’s confessor was a Dominican friar. However, it was always dependent on the Crown, and it was never able to have real autonomous power and influence. Still, the monastery played an important role as a cultural centre.
The Great Earthquake of 1755 and the French Invasions in the early 19th century caused some damage to the monastery. In 1834, religious orders and conventual life in Portugal were extinguished by a decree from the Liberal government. The monastery was then abandoned and its assets were incorporated in the National Treasury. A few years later, some restorations were made to the degraded monastery that lasted until the 20th century. In 1983, the Monastery of Batalha was proclaimed UNESCO World Heritage Site. Nowadays, it is incorporated in the Direção-Geral do Património Cultural (General Administration of the Cultural Heritage).
Access points: locations
Access points: corporate bodies
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
System of arrangement
The fonds is composed of two bundles and eight books. Each type of storage unit (bundles and books) has its own numbering sequence, generally following a chronological order.
Access, restrictions
No restrictions, except for records in poor condition or available in digital format. Most records are digitised.
Finding aids
Unpublished finding aids available in the Torre do Tombo:
"Índice (inventário) dos livros de diversos conventos, ordens militares e outras corporações religiosas guardadas no Arquivo da Torre do Tombo" (Inventory of books from diverse convents, military orders and other religious organisation kept by the Archive of Torre do Tombo), "Conventos diversos" (Diverse convents), "caderneta" (booklet) 2 (B-D). It contains the description of books 1 to 4.(C 269), fols. 3-6.
"Índice do livro 4 "Vários pergaminhos da Varg[em] e Pinheiro" pertencente ao Convento da Batalha, próprios e comuns". Index of book 4 (L 287A).
"Inventário dos cartórios recolhidos da Biblioteca Nacional, em 1912" (Inventory of registries collected from the National Library in 1912). It contains the description of books 5 to 8 and the two bundles. (L 283), fol. 22.
Links to finding aids
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) |