Colegiada de Santa Maria do Castelo de Torres Vedras
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 210 037 100
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/CSMCTV
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (English)
Collegiate of Santa Maria do Castelo de Torres Vedras
Title (official language of the state)
Colegiada de Santa Maria do Castelo de Torres Vedras
Language of title
por
Creator / accumulator
Colegiada de Santa Maria do Castelo de Torres Vedras
Date(s)
1309/1885
Language(s)
lat
por
Extent
39 books and 42 bundles
Type of material
Textual Material
Physical condition
Good
Scope and content
The Colegiada de Santa Maria do Castelo de Torres Vedras fonds contains records related to or produced by the Collegiate and Church of Santa Maria do Castelo. It includes byelaws, deeds, financial and property records, donations, wills, records regarding the members of the Collegiate, etc. Some records contain precious information regarding the Jewish community of Torres Vedras before the late 15th century expulsions. Here are some examples:
PT/TT/CSMCTV/M027/000025: deed of sale of a house in Torres Vedras to Isac Guedelha and his wife Clara for 60 pounds. One of the witnesses of this deed, dated from 1299, was Samuel, a Jewish clerk.
PT/TT/CSMCTV/L011: "Livro de inquirições do que rendem as heranças de Torres Vedras e seu termo, para a divisão dos dízimos das quatro igrejas" (Book of inquiries on the incomes of the inheritances from Torres Vedras and outskirts, for the division of the four churches' tithes). This inquiry mentions several Jews who had inherited properties in Torres Vedras and paid tithes to the village's churches in 1309. This document was published by Harold Johnson (1970).
PT/TT/CSMCTV/M040 (mç. 3 de pergaminhos, doc. 15): letter by King Dinis dated from September 16, 1337, ordering Jews with properties in Torres Vedras to pay the local tithes.
PT/TT/CSMCTV/M042 (mç. 7 de pergaminhos, doc. 33):
document from 1369 concerning the renunciation of an old house in the "judiaria" (Jewish quarter) of Torres Vedras, belonging to the Church of Santa Maria, by Judas Galhitem.
PT/TT/CSMCTV/M027/000037: discharge letter dated from 1378 reporting that Pedro Cavaleiro, canon of the Cathedral of Lisbon, had paid a debt to Mousem Lavoa, a Jewish merchant who lived in the "judiaria velha" (old Jewish quarter) of Lisbon, on behalf of Lourenço Esteves from Torres Vedras.
PT/TT/CSMCTV/M028: this bundle includes a record (doc. 7) regarding a house in the Jewish quarter of Torres Vedras belonging to the chantry of Salvador in the Church of Santa Maria that had been "aforada" (had an emphyteusis contract) to Jaco Francês. After his death, the contract was handed over to his son Abraão Francês, a Jewish blacksmith, who committed to reconstructing the house that, in the meanwhile, had ruined. This commitment was signed on October 15, 1492.
We would like to thank Isabel de Luna, curator of the Museu Municipal Leonel Trindade in Torres Vedras, for the information on these documents.
PT/TT/CSMCTV/M027/000025: deed of sale of a house in Torres Vedras to Isac Guedelha and his wife Clara for 60 pounds. One of the witnesses of this deed, dated from 1299, was Samuel, a Jewish clerk.
PT/TT/CSMCTV/L011: "Livro de inquirições do que rendem as heranças de Torres Vedras e seu termo, para a divisão dos dízimos das quatro igrejas" (Book of inquiries on the incomes of the inheritances from Torres Vedras and outskirts, for the division of the four churches' tithes). This inquiry mentions several Jews who had inherited properties in Torres Vedras and paid tithes to the village's churches in 1309. This document was published by Harold Johnson (1970).
PT/TT/CSMCTV/M040 (mç. 3 de pergaminhos, doc. 15): letter by King Dinis dated from September 16, 1337, ordering Jews with properties in Torres Vedras to pay the local tithes.
PT/TT/CSMCTV/M042 (mç. 7 de pergaminhos, doc. 33):
document from 1369 concerning the renunciation of an old house in the "judiaria" (Jewish quarter) of Torres Vedras, belonging to the Church of Santa Maria, by Judas Galhitem.
PT/TT/CSMCTV/M027/000037: discharge letter dated from 1378 reporting that Pedro Cavaleiro, canon of the Cathedral of Lisbon, had paid a debt to Mousem Lavoa, a Jewish merchant who lived in the "judiaria velha" (old Jewish quarter) of Lisbon, on behalf of Lourenço Esteves from Torres Vedras.
PT/TT/CSMCTV/M028: this bundle includes a record (doc. 7) regarding a house in the Jewish quarter of Torres Vedras belonging to the chantry of Salvador in the Church of Santa Maria that had been "aforada" (had an emphyteusis contract) to Jaco Francês. After his death, the contract was handed over to his son Abraão Francês, a Jewish blacksmith, who committed to reconstructing the house that, in the meanwhile, had ruined. This commitment was signed on October 15, 1492.
We would like to thank Isabel de Luna, curator of the Museu Municipal Leonel Trindade in Torres Vedras, for the information on these documents.
Archival history
In 1848, following the law of June 16 and the instruction of September 17, the assets and incomes of all collegiates in Portugal were applied to the maintenance of seminaries. Another law on December 27, 1849, determined that the documents of the collegiates should be stored in the registry of the seminary that received their assets and incomes.
The archive, assets, and incomes of the Collegiate of Santa Maria do Castelo were transferred to the seminary of Santarém. In 1912, the documentation of the Collegiate of Santa Maria was stored in the Biblioteca Nacional (National Library). Between 1912 and 1913, the records were successively sent to the Torre do Tombo. Then, they were integrated into a collection that aggregated all records from the ecclesiastic institutions of Torres Vedras. In the late 1990s, this organisation method was discarded and the records of the ecclesiastic institutions were organised by diocese. The descriptions of the records in the archive's online database follow previous catalogues and the abstracts in the back of the documents. "Maços" (bundles) 18, 19, 20 and 21 are missing.
The archive, assets, and incomes of the Collegiate of Santa Maria do Castelo were transferred to the seminary of Santarém. In 1912, the documentation of the Collegiate of Santa Maria was stored in the Biblioteca Nacional (National Library). Between 1912 and 1913, the records were successively sent to the Torre do Tombo. Then, they were integrated into a collection that aggregated all records from the ecclesiastic institutions of Torres Vedras. In the late 1990s, this organisation method was discarded and the records of the ecclesiastic institutions were organised by diocese. The descriptions of the records in the archive's online database follow previous catalogues and the abstracts in the back of the documents. "Maços" (bundles) 18, 19, 20 and 21 are missing.
Administrative / Biographical history
The collegiates were communities of clerics and laymen with the mission of ensuring the religious cult in churches. As the four churches of Torres Vedras were parish churches, their collegiates had other specific functions, namely singing the canonical hours, celebrating masses, administering the sacraments and providing funeral ceremonies. The collegiates were headed by a prior and composed of a number of "raçoeiros" (literally, who received a ration), who were generally clerics but, exceptionally, also included a few laymen. As the churches of Torres Vedras were under the Crown's patronage, the king appointed the prior, who was later confirmed by the bishop. The prior was the only dignity of the collegiates of Torres Vedras. He had the responsability of nominating the "raçoeiros". The "raçoeiros" undertook liturgical functions, such as taking part in the choir, praying for the worshipers who had left donations to the collegiate, etc., but they also had the responsibility of managing the properties and incomes of the church. The "prioste", which was chosen among the "raçoeiros", had the function of managing the collegiate's assets and distributing their incomes. The revenues of the collegiates of Torres Vedras derived from worshipers' donations, tithes paid by parishioners and incomes from estates.
The Church of Santa Maria do Castelo was the first founded in Torres Vedras, shortly after the Christian conquest in 1148. Located inside the castle, the church was probably erected in the place of the former mosque. Such as other churches of Torres Vedras, Santa Maria was under royal patronage. The patronage of the Church of Santa Maria was successively donated by the kings to theirs wives, throughout its history. For instance, King Afonso III granted the patronage of the town's churches to Queen Beatriz. After her death, the patronage returned to the king, at the time, her son King Dinis. In 1372, Queen Leonor de Teles received the patronage of the churches of Torres Vedras from King Fernando. The same occurred in the following reigns. In 1859, Santa Maria was merged with the parish of São Miguel, as a result of the reorganisation of the urban parishes of Torres Vedras.
The Church of Santa Maria do Castelo was the first founded in Torres Vedras, shortly after the Christian conquest in 1148. Located inside the castle, the church was probably erected in the place of the former mosque. Such as other churches of Torres Vedras, Santa Maria was under royal patronage. The patronage of the Church of Santa Maria was successively donated by the kings to theirs wives, throughout its history. For instance, King Afonso III granted the patronage of the town's churches to Queen Beatriz. After her death, the patronage returned to the king, at the time, her son King Dinis. In 1372, Queen Leonor de Teles received the patronage of the churches of Torres Vedras from King Fernando. The same occurred in the following reigns. In 1859, Santa Maria was merged with the parish of São Miguel, as a result of the reorganisation of the urban parishes of Torres Vedras.
Access points: locations
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
System of arrangement
The records are divided into books and bundles. Of a total of 39 books, 4 books are dedicated to elections, 5 to scriptures, 19 to priory's accounts, 5 to the collegiate’s estate and 6 more with records of various subjects. The bundles are 42 and 4 of them are scrolls.
Access, restrictions
No restrictions, except for records in poor condition or available in digital format.
Finding aids
Handwritten and typewritten finding aids, available in Torre do Tombo:
"Inventário dos cartórios recolhidos da Biblioteca Nacional, 1912" (Inventory of the registries transferred from the National Library, 1912), fols. 171-172 A (L 283).
Links to finding aids
Bibliography
Published primary sources
Linked resources
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