Cabido da Sé de Viseu
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/CSVS
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (English)
Cathedral Chapter of the See of Viseu
Title (official language of the state)
Cabido da Sé de Viseu
Language of title
por
Creator / accumulator
Cabido da Sé de Viseu
Date(s)
1118/1578
Language(s)
por
lat
Extent
2 volumes, 13 bundles and 6 rolls
Type of material
Textual Material
Physical condition
Good
Scope and content
The Cabido da Sé de Viseu fonds comprises some documentation related to and produced by the Cathedral Chapter of Viseu, including property and finance records, royal letters, privileges and sentences. It only includes a small parcel of the records from the archive of the Cathedral Chapter of Viseu, the greatest part is deposited in the Arquivo Distrital de Viseu.
As to Jewish-related material in this fonds, there is a record reporting a decision taken by King D. Dinis regarding a Jew from Viseu named Abraão (PT/TT/CSVS/DR1, no. 23). He had been accused by a Christian couple of charging them more than double the amount of the debt they owed him. Before this complaint, D. Dinis determined, on June 4, 1293, that the Jew would be obliged to return the amount he had overcharged if the accusation was proven.
As to Jewish-related material in this fonds, there is a record reporting a decision taken by King D. Dinis regarding a Jew from Viseu named Abraão (PT/TT/CSVS/DR1, no. 23). He had been accused by a Christian couple of charging them more than double the amount of the debt they owed him. Before this complaint, D. Dinis determined, on June 4, 1293, that the Jew would be obliged to return the amount he had overcharged if the accusation was proven.
Archival history
The archival history of this fonds is not completely known, but there is some information regarding the background of its two volumes. Around 1860, José Manuel da Costa Basto, an official of Torre do Tombo, carried to the archive various codices from several institutions, including two from the Cathedral of Viseu (currently PT/TT/CSVS/L1 and PT/TT/CSVS/L2). The codices were incorporated into the Colecção Costa Basto and later became part of the so-called Colecção Especial (Special Collection). Between 1938 and 1990, the documents of this collection were gradually reorganised with the aim of recreating the original fonds. The documents were chronologically ordered and gathered into bundles of 40 documents each, which were numbered sequentially. At the end of the 1990s, the organisation by locality was discarded, and the records were aggregated according to their original religious institution, order or diocese.
Administrative / Biographical history
The Cabido da Sé de Viseu (Cathedral Chapter of Viseu) was a corporation or community of ecclesiastics who advised the bishop on the governance of the diocese. Over the centuries, the Cabido took on different functions established in different synodal constitutions and byelaws.
The history of the Cathedral Chapter of Viseu dates back to before the restoration of the diocese in 1147. Indeed, there was already a group of clerics living with the priest of the church of Santa Maria in 1110. At the time, the church was already designated as "ecclesia Sancte Marie episcopalis sedis visensis", but its diocesan administration remained subordinated to the Bishop of Coimbra until 1147, when D. Odório, the priest of Santa Maria, was appointed Bishop of Viseu.
Initially, the Cathedral Chapter was headed by a prior, and the canons lived in a communal household. After the restoration of the diocese, a process of hierarchisation began, as well as the progressive abandonment of the community life. The first references to a "deão" (dean) as head of the Viseu Chapter date back to the late 12th century. Then, other dignities were also instituted: the archdeacon, the cantor, the "mestre-escola" (schoolmaster), and the treasurer. Thirty prebends were created, thus establishing a numerus clausus for the entrance of new canons into the Cathedral Chapter. This led to the division of the diocese's income and estates between two "mesas" (boards), following the example of the Cathedral of Braga: 2/3 of the revenue belonged to the Bishop and 1/3 to the Chapter.
Over the centuries, the Cathedral Chapter continued to exercise the mission of advising the bishop on the government of the diocese, and administrating the diocese in case of "sede vacante" or in the absence of the bishop, which was quite frequent during the Medieval and Early Modern times.
The history of the Cathedral Chapter of Viseu dates back to before the restoration of the diocese in 1147. Indeed, there was already a group of clerics living with the priest of the church of Santa Maria in 1110. At the time, the church was already designated as "ecclesia Sancte Marie episcopalis sedis visensis", but its diocesan administration remained subordinated to the Bishop of Coimbra until 1147, when D. Odório, the priest of Santa Maria, was appointed Bishop of Viseu.
Initially, the Cathedral Chapter was headed by a prior, and the canons lived in a communal household. After the restoration of the diocese, a process of hierarchisation began, as well as the progressive abandonment of the community life. The first references to a "deão" (dean) as head of the Viseu Chapter date back to the late 12th century. Then, other dignities were also instituted: the archdeacon, the cantor, the "mestre-escola" (schoolmaster), and the treasurer. Thirty prebends were created, thus establishing a numerus clausus for the entrance of new canons into the Cathedral Chapter. This led to the division of the diocese's income and estates between two "mesas" (boards), following the example of the Cathedral of Braga: 2/3 of the revenue belonged to the Bishop and 1/3 to the Chapter.
Over the centuries, the Cathedral Chapter continued to exercise the mission of advising the bishop on the government of the diocese, and administrating the diocese in case of "sede vacante" or in the absence of the bishop, which was quite frequent during the Medieval and Early Modern times.
Access points: locations
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
System of arrangement
This fonds is composed of 13 bundles (1 with ecclesiastical records, 10 with private records and 2 with royal documents), 6 rolls and 2 books. Each type of storage unit had its own numbering.
Access, restrictions
Some documents are available online. The original copy of those documents are not available for consultation. To have access to some records, permission is needed and only during a restricted time.
Finding aids
"Inventário das Corporações Religiosas, desintegrado da antiga Colecção Especial em 24 de Julho de 1978" (Inventory of Religious Organisation extracted from the former Colecção Especial on July 24, 1978). Unpublished finding aid available in the Torre do Tombo (L 208).
Links to finding aids
Author of the description
Inês de Sá and Teresa Oliveira, 2021
Linked resources
Filter by property
| Title | Alternate label | Class |
|---|---|---|
| Arquivo Nacional da Torre do Tombo | Collections (official language of the state) |