Mosteiro de Santa Maria de Celas
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/MSMRC
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (English)
Monastery of Santa Maria de Celas
Title (official language of the state)
Mosteiro de Santa Maria de Celas
Language of title
por
Creator / accumulator
Mosteiro de Santa Maria de Celas
Date(s)
1157/1858
Language(s)
por
Extent
6 books and 13 bundles
Type of material
Textual Material
Physical condition
Good
Scope and content
The Mosteiro de Santa Maria de Celas fonds comprises documentation produced by or related to this monastery in Coimbra. It contains papal bulls, royal letters, emphyteusis contracts, permits, deeds of sale, privileges, donations, exchanges of properties, contracts, inventories, sentences and several other types of records. The documentation covers a vast area, including Alenquer, Coimbra, Lisbon, Ourém, Santarém, Tentúgal, Torres Vedras, among other localities in central Portugal.
Throughout this fonds, it is possible to find some scattered information regarding religious minorities living in Portugal in Medieval times, including Jewish communities settled in localities where the monastery had estates. It is the case of a copy of a deed, dating from June 1224, reporting the sale of an olive grove in Ribela, in the outskirts of Coimbra, effected by a Jew named Salomão to princess D. Sancha, the daughter of King Sancho I (PT/TT/MSMRC/M04/001). A digital copy of this document is available in the Torre do Tombo online database.
Throughout this fonds, it is possible to find some scattered information regarding religious minorities living in Portugal in Medieval times, including Jewish communities settled in localities where the monastery had estates. It is the case of a copy of a deed, dating from June 1224, reporting the sale of an olive grove in Ribela, in the outskirts of Coimbra, effected by a Jew named Salomão to princess D. Sancha, the daughter of King Sancho I (PT/TT/MSMRC/M04/001). A digital copy of this document is available in the Torre do Tombo online database.
Archival history
The documents of the registry of the Monastery of Santa Maria de Celas were sent to the National Archive of Torre do Tombo in 1864, following a decree on October 2, 1862, and an ordinance on July 9, 1863. The inventory of the monastery's assets was signed by D. Leocádia Cândida de Freitas, in capite president, and João Pedro da Costa Basto, the "oficial-mor" (major official) of Torre do Tombo.
The first inventory (signature: L 496) of the fonds was produced in the 1950s, as a result of an internship to train librarians and archivists. This inventory organised the documentation according to the different relations and activities of the monastery of Santa Maria de Celas. In the late 1990s, the arrangement of the records by place name was replaced by an organisation by religious order.
The descriptions of the documents that are currently provided on the archive's online database follow the summaries contained in the back of the records, as well as other inventories. In 2020, the documents comprised in the bundles were also described, following the 1950s' inventory.
The first inventory (signature: L 496) of the fonds was produced in the 1950s, as a result of an internship to train librarians and archivists. This inventory organised the documentation according to the different relations and activities of the monastery of Santa Maria de Celas. In the late 1990s, the arrangement of the records by place name was replaced by an organisation by religious order.
The descriptions of the documents that are currently provided on the archive's online database follow the summaries contained in the back of the records, as well as other inventories. In 2020, the documents comprised in the bundles were also described, following the 1950s' inventory.
Administrative / Biographical history
The first record of the Monastery of Santa Maria de Celas dates back to 1221. It was founded by princess D. Sancha, the daughter of King Sancho I, in an estate named “Vimaranes” (Guimarães) in Coimbra. For this reason, the monastery is also known as Mosteiro das Celas de Guimarães.
The first nuns were probably transferred from the Monastery of Lorvão and later from another community in Alenquer protected by the princess, which explains the properties of the institution in Alenquer, Lisbon and Torres Vedras. The nuns belonged to the Order of Cister. Many of them were from the noblest families of Portugal, that being one of the reasons why the monastery had significant royal protection. However, the monastery did not evolve as much as the others founded by princesses D. Teresa and D. Mafalda, Sancha's sisters, in Lorvão and Arouca.
In 1434, King Duarte gave a letter of privilege to the monastery. The same was confirmed by King Manuel I at the end of the century.
King João III ordered a reformation of the monastery and charged the Franciscan nun Leonor de Vasconcelos, abbess of Celas from 1521 to 1541, with this mission.
In 1532, the monastery housed 48 nuns. At the end of the century this number had increased, leading to new construction works. Thus, new facilities were added to the building, including a new dormitory.
In 1834, religious orders and male monasteries were extinct in Portugal as a result of the new Liberal regime. Only the female monasteries and convents were allowed to be kept open until the death of the last nun. This was the destiny of the Monastery of Celas, extinct after its last nun died in 1883.
The first nuns were probably transferred from the Monastery of Lorvão and later from another community in Alenquer protected by the princess, which explains the properties of the institution in Alenquer, Lisbon and Torres Vedras. The nuns belonged to the Order of Cister. Many of them were from the noblest families of Portugal, that being one of the reasons why the monastery had significant royal protection. However, the monastery did not evolve as much as the others founded by princesses D. Teresa and D. Mafalda, Sancha's sisters, in Lorvão and Arouca.
In 1434, King Duarte gave a letter of privilege to the monastery. The same was confirmed by King Manuel I at the end of the century.
King João III ordered a reformation of the monastery and charged the Franciscan nun Leonor de Vasconcelos, abbess of Celas from 1521 to 1541, with this mission.
In 1532, the monastery housed 48 nuns. At the end of the century this number had increased, leading to new construction works. Thus, new facilities were added to the building, including a new dormitory.
In 1834, religious orders and male monasteries were extinct in Portugal as a result of the new Liberal regime. Only the female monasteries and convents were allowed to be kept open until the death of the last nun. This was the destiny of the Monastery of Celas, extinct after its last nun died in 1883.
Sources:
Access points: locations
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
System of arrangement
The fonds is organised into 13 bundles and 6 books. The first bundle contains royal records; the second gathers documents from the Holy See; the third to eleventh bundles include propriety records; the twelfth bundle collects litigations involving the monastery; and the thirteenth gathers records related to the religious life of the institution.
Access, restrictions
No restrictions, except for records in poor condition or available in digital format.
Finding aids
Unpublished finding aids available in the archive:
"Índice (inventário) dos livros de diversos conventos, ordens militares e outras corporações religiosas guardadas no Arquivo da Torre do Tombo, conventos diversos" (Inventory of books from diverse convents, military orders and other religious organisations kept by the Archive of Torre do Tombo, diverse convents), caderneta (booklet) 1 (Ajuda to Avis). (C 268).
"Inventário das Corporações Religiosas, desintegrado da antiga Colecção Especial, em 24 de Julho de 1978" (Inventory of religious organisations desintegrated from the former Colecção Especial on July 24, 1978). (L 208).
"Inventário do Mosteiro de Santa Maria de Celas de Coimbra" (Inventory of the Monastery of Santa Maria de Celas of Coimbra). It includes indexes of abbesses and prioresses, an index of notaries, and chronological, onomastic, geographical and ideographic indexes. (L 496).
"Inventário dos cartórios recolhidos da Biblioteca Nacional, em 1912" (Inventory of the registries collected from the National Library in 1912). (L 283), fol. 52.
"Relação dos documentos pertencentes ao cartório do Mosteiro de Santa Maria de Celas que, em virtude do Decreto de 2 de Outubro de 1862 e Portaria de 9 de Julho de 1863, foram transferidos para o Arquivo da Torre do Tombo, recebidos no Mosteiro, em 5 de Agosto de 1864" (Inventory of documents belonging to the registry of the Monastery of Santa de Celas that, after the decree of October 2, 1862, and the ordinance of July 9, 1863, were transferred to the Archive of Torre do Tombo on August 5, 1864). (L 288).
Links to finding aids
Author of the description
Inês de Sá, 2021
Published primary sources
Linked resources
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|---|---|---|
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