Colegiada de São Pedro 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/CSPTV
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (English)
Collegiate of São Pedro de Torres Vedras
Title (official language of the state)
Colegiada de São Pedro de Torres Vedras
Language of title
por
Creator / accumulator
Colegiada de São Pedro de Torres Vedras
Date(s)
1285/1851
Language(s)
por
lat
Extent
18 books and 11 bundles
Type of material
Textual Material
Physical condition
Good
Scope and content
The Colegiada de São Pedro de Torres Vedras fonds comprises records produced or related to this collegiate and the church of São Pedro, including royal letters, papal bulls, appointments, financial and property records, donations, sentences, wills, chantries records, etc. The oldest documents contain rich information on Torres Vedras in the Middle Ages. Thus, they also include some scattered data regarding the Jewish community of Torres Vedras. Particularly interesting is a document from 1407 (mç. 4, doc. 237) concerning a dispute between the Church of São Pedro and the Jewish community of Torres Vedras regarding the payment of taxes. The Jewish "comuna" (commune) was represented by Abraão de Villa Lobos, a Jewish "jubeteiro" (hawker), who alleged that the Jews living in the "judiaria" (Jewish quarter) were exempted from paying the “conhecenças” (parish tax) by King Afonso IV. The case ended up being resolved in favour of the Church of São Pedro, and the Jews were ordered to pay the tax.
We would like to thank Isabel de Luna, curator of the Museu Municipal Leonel Trindade in Torres Vedras, for the information on this document.
We would like to thank Isabel de Luna, curator of the Museu Municipal Leonel Trindade in Torres Vedras, for the information on this document.
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 from the collegiates should be stored in the registry of the seminary that received their assets and incomes. Thus, the archive, assets and incomes of the Collegiate of São Pedro were transferred to the seminary of Santarém. In 1913, the documentation of the Collegiate of São Pedro was stored in the Biblioteca Nacional (National Library); however, it was sent to the Torre do Tombo in that same year. Then, the records were integrated into a collection that aggregated all records from the ecclesiastic institutions of Torres Vedras. In the late 1990s, this organisation method was abandoned and the records from 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.
Administrative / Biographical history
The collegiates were communities of clerics and laymen with the purpose 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 or praying for the worshippers who had left donations to the collegiate. In addition, 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 its incomes. The revenues of the collegiates of Torres Vedras derived from worshipers donations, tithes paid by parishioners and incomes from estates.
The foundation date of the Church of São Pedro is unknown, but it is accepted that it already existed in the mid-13th century. Indeed, the church appears mentioned in a list from 1258-59, registering the churches in the bishoprics of Porto, Lamego, Tui, Coimbra and Lisbon that were under royal patronage. Throughout time, the patronage of the Church of São Pedro was successively donated by the kings to their wives. For instance, King Afonso III granted the patronage of Torres Vedras' churches to Queen Beatriz. On March 16, 1279, she conceded the patronage of the Church of São Pedro to the Monastery of Alcobaça.
In 1332, the "Compromisso" (byelaws) of the Collegiate of São Pedro established that it would be composed of ten "raçoeiros" and a prior. In 1859, as a result of the reorganisation of the urban parishes of Torres Vedras, São Pedro was merged with the parish of São Tiago.
The foundation date of the Church of São Pedro is unknown, but it is accepted that it already existed in the mid-13th century. Indeed, the church appears mentioned in a list from 1258-59, registering the churches in the bishoprics of Porto, Lamego, Tui, Coimbra and Lisbon that were under royal patronage. Throughout time, the patronage of the Church of São Pedro was successively donated by the kings to their wives. For instance, King Afonso III granted the patronage of Torres Vedras' churches to Queen Beatriz. On March 16, 1279, she conceded the patronage of the Church of São Pedro to the Monastery of Alcobaça.
In 1332, the "Compromisso" (byelaws) of the Collegiate of São Pedro established that it would be composed of ten "raçoeiros" and a prior. In 1859, as a result of the reorganisation of the urban parishes of Torres Vedras, São Pedro was merged with the parish of São Tiago.
Access points: locations
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
System of arrangement
18 books and 11 bundles. Each installation unit has its specific numerical order.
Access, restrictions
No restrictions, except for records in poor condition or available in digital format.
Finding aids
Unpublished finding aids available in the Torre do Tombo:
"Inventário dos cartórios recolhidos da Biblioteca Nacional, em 1912" (Inventory of registries transferred from the National Library in 1912), fol. 173 v. (L 283).
"Inventário dos documentos da Colegiada de São Pedro de Torres Vedras, 1973-1974" (Inventory of documents of the Collegiate of São Pedro of Torres Vedras, 1973-1974). (L 494 A).
"Inventário dos documentos da Colegiada de São Pedro de Torres Vedras. Suplemento. Junho-Agosto de 1986" (Inventory of documents of the Collegiate of São Pedro of Torres Vedras. Supplement. June-August 1986). (L 494 B).
Links to finding aids
Bibliography
Linked resources
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