Contos de Lisboa / Contos do Reino e Casa

Country

PT

Name of institution (English)

The National Archive of Torre do Tombo

Name of institution (official language of the state)

Arquivo Nacional da Torre do Tombo

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/CRC

Type of reference number

Archival reference number

Title (English)

Lisbon Audit Office / Crown Audit Office

Title (official language of the state)

Contos de Lisboa / Contos do Reino e Casa

Language of title

por

Creator / accumulator

Contos

Date(s)

1395/1693

Language(s)

por

Extent

451 books

Type of material

Textual Material

Physical condition

Good

Scope and content

This fonds gathers account books of all the kingdom, including central and local finances, from Africa, India and the Royal House.
It includes various information regarding the Portuguese Jewish communities before the late 15th century.
An example is the "Livros do tombo dos bens e direitos reais" (Inventory books of royal assets and incomes) series. The "Tombo da comarca da Beira" (Inventory of the Beira county) mentions numerous Jews with proprieties rented in localities in Beira (central-interior of Portugal), including Trancoso, Pinhel, Castel Bom, Castelo Rodrigo, Vilar Maior, Alfaiates, Sabugal, Sortelha, Covilhã, Belmonte, Penamacor, Guarda, Linhares, and Seia (PT/TT/CRC/A/1/292). Attached to this unit is a document entitled “Aforamentos de vários chãos na Guarda" (emphyteusis contracts of several lands in Guarda), with numerous mentions to the “judiaria” (Jewish quarter) of this city. These records were transcribed and published by A. Braamcamp Freire (1916). Saul Gomes (2013) listed the names of Jews mentioned in these documents, which included, for example, Alvar Gil and Rabi David, both with rented houses in São Vicente, Guarda, in 1395. The “Tombo de Lisboa e seu termo" (Inventory of Lisbon and its outskirts), dating from 1421/1422 and also named as “Livro dos bens Próprios de Reis e Rainhas” (Book of the Kings' and Queens' assets), is a list of proprieties of the crown in Lisbon and its surroundings, including references to proprieties in the Jewish quarter of Lisbon (PT/TT/CRC/A/1/314). Other inventory books of the royal properties in Lisbon between the late 15th century and the early 16th century (PT/TT/CRC/A/1/318 to PT/TT/CRC/A/1/322) also contain rich information on the residence of the Jewish community in the capital of Portugal at the time of the expulsion. The "Tombo dos foros da cidade de Coimbra" (Inventory of the emphyteusis contracts of the city of Coimbra), dating from 1395 (PT/TT/CRC/A/1/287), contains, among other Jewish-related records, information about the localisation of the old Jewish quarter of Coimbra and its buildings (fols. 14v-16) and royal rights paid by them (fol. 59v). The "Livros do tombo" series also includes the "Livro do Almoxarifado de Silves" (PT/TT/CRC/A/1/298), a record of the accounts of the “almoxarifado” of Silves, in Southern Portugal, that contains numerous references to Jews living in the city and surrounding area. This book was published by Maria José da Silva Leal and José Garcia Domingues (1984).
Besides the "Livros do tombo", the Contos fonds comprises more records with relevant data on the Portuguese Jewish communities. It is the case of a scroll with the loans made by the “almoxarifado” (treasury) of Évora to king Afonso V in 1475 and 1476, which has attached a list of Jews living in Évora, Montemor-o-Novo and Arraiolos who lent money to the crown (PT/TT/CRC/G/2). Another example is the book of the “almoxarifado” of Funchal (PT/TT/CRC/I/1), which mentions numerous Jewish merchants that participated in the sugar trade of Madeira through Italian agents, among them Isaque Beacar, Mousem Benafaçom, Abraão Beacar, Juda Galite and his son José Galite, Jacob Beirão, Bento Capaio, José Penafiel and the heirs of David Negro. This document was published by Virgínia Rau and Jorge Borges de Macedo (1962).

Archival history

Around the 14th century, the books of accounts and similar documents were kept in the Torre do Tombo, in the Castle of São Jorge in Lisbon. The background of these records is uncertain.
At the beginning of the 16th century, several institutional reforms were made in the finances of the State, which made the Crown’s Audit Office move constantly. In 1524, it was finally permanently transferred to the Terreiro do Paço in Lisbon. However, the oldest documents remained in Torre do Tombo, and were grouped with the designation “Fazenda Real” (Royal Treasury).
After the Great Earthquake of 1755, the records were stored in woodsheds and, two years later, moved to the monastery of São Bento.
At the end of the 18th century, the “guarda-mor” (High-Guardian) João Pereira Ramos de Azevedo Coutinho ordered the production of an index of the archive. The inventory was composed of six parts. This collection was included in the 5th part, entitled “Diversas Matérias” (Various Subjects).
In the mid 20th century, the director of Torre do Tombo, João Martins da Silva Marques, organised part of the documentation from the Diversas Matérias and created the Núcleo Antigo (Old Core) fonds.
In recent years, part of the archive was rearranged to match the original organisation. The Núcleo Antigo was disassembled, creating new fonds and collections, and incorporating other documents into already existing ones. Also only recently were these documents identified as being part of the Contos de Lisboa/Contos do Reino e Casa, before generically known as Fazenda Real. As the distinction and separation of the several departments within the (Casa dos) Contos was not completely clear, the fonds was entitled "Contos de Lisboa / Contos do Reino e Casa".

(source: Arquivo Nacional da Torre do Tombo online database)

Administrative / Biographical history

The first registration of royal income was written in a series of books called "Recabedo Regni". In the early times of the kingdom, the king had the responsibility to check these records, assisted by his councils (first the Curia, later the Royal Council).
With the centralisation of royal power and the greater complexity of the administration, a specific department was created for the accounts of the kingdom. It was established during the reign of King Dinis, around 1296, and named "Casa dos Contos". Later, a distinction was made between the Contos de Lisboa (Accounts of Lisbon), which supervised the accounts of all the “almoxarifados” (treasuries) of the kingdom, and the Contos do Rei (Accounts of the King) that focused on the accounts of the Royal House.
The Contos gathered records of the Crown's income, both rents and rights, and also the expenses, the legislation on economic and financial administration, and tax contracts.
After King João I ascended the throne and inaugurated the new dynasty of Avis, the Casa dos Contos enhanced its autonomy, preserved in a statute made in 1389. Then, the Contos de Lisboa started to only supervise the accounts of Lisbon, and the rest of the kingdom was put under the supervision of the “vedores da fazenda” (comptrollers of finances), created years before by King Fernando.
In 1404, the Casa dos Contos gained a new official, the “Contador-mor” (chief accountant). New laws were approved in 1419 that reinforced the centralisation of the accounts of the kingdom. The Casa dos Contos oversaw the income and expenses of the customhouse, taxes, debts, hospitals and chapels, leases, ship cargo, etc.
The Portuguese overseas expansion led to a change in the Casa dos Contos. In 1514, King Manuel transformed the Contos da Casa into Contos do Reino e Casa (Accounts of the Kingdom and Royal House). The Contos de Lisboa lost powers, as many of their officials moved to the renewed department. A new 1516 law confirmed the tendency of separation between local and central accounts. The Casa dos Contos also worked as a court for those who owned money to the Crown.
In 1530, the Casa dos Contos de Goa was created. The accounts of the Portuguese overseas territories were gathered in their own department. Thirty years later, during the reign of King Sebastião, the Contos de Lisboa and Contos do Reino e Casa were finally united to improve their efficiency. A century later, the Casa dos Contos de Goa was abolished and its duties were transferred to the officials of the united Casa dos Contos.
The first king of the last Portuguese dynasty, King João IV, created a department for the accounts of Brasil, the Contos do Estado do Brasil.
The Casa dos Contos suffered several losses due to the Great Earthquake of 1755, as it operated in the Terreiro do Paço, one of the most affected areas. The disorganisation of the documentation that already existed was made worse. In 1761, under the wave of reforms of the Marquis of Pombal, the Casa dos Contos was abolished and replaced by the newly created Erário Régio (Royal treasury).

Sources:

Arquivo Nacional da Torre do Tombo online database

Paixão, Judite Cavaleiro, and aMaria Alexandra Lourenço. “Contos Do Reino e Casa.” Revista Do Tribunal de Contas, no. 21/22, 1994.

Access points: locations

Lisbon (Portugal)

Coimbra (Portugal)

Guarda (Portugal)

Funchal (Portugal)

Silves (Portugal)

Evora (Portugal)

Montemor-o-Novo (Portugal)

Arraiolos (Portugal)

Access points: subject terms

Portuguese Medieval Jewry

Jewish quarter

Land

Taxation

Expulsion, persecution (Portugal)

14th century

15th century

16th century

Access points: document types

State records

Property records

Account books and ledgers

System of arrangement

This fonds is divided into one sub-fonds and 13 sections. The sections are organised geographically and have their own series: A – Central Accounting (6 series); B – Lisbon and surroundings (17 series); C – Entre Douro e Minho and Trás-os-Montes (2 series); D – Entre Douro e Minho (8 series); E – Estremadura (6 series); F – Beira (4 series); G – Entre Tejo e Odiana (3 series); H – Algarve (6 series); I – Madeira (9 series); J – Azores (1 series); L – Cabo Verde (1 series); M – Africa (15 series); N – Royal House (5 series).
The sub-fonds is dedicated to the accounts of the Estado da Índia (State of India), also divided into sections by place: A – Calecute; B – Cananor; C – Cochim; D – Goa; E – Ormuz; F – Pégu and Pacem; G – Socotorá; H – Sofala. This sub-fonds has four more series: property records; budget of the fortresses; weights, measures and coins of India; and income and expenses of ships and fleets.

Access, restrictions

No restrictions, except for records in poor condition or available in digital format.

Finding aids

Coutinho, João Pereira de Azeredo. 1776. "Inventario dos livros, maços e documentos que se guardam no Real Archivo da Torre do Tombo [...] no anno de 1776" (Inventory of the books, bundles and documents stored in the Royal Archive of Torre do Tombo in 1776". (L 299A and 299B). Handwritten finding aid available in Torre do Tombo.

Azevedo, Pedro de, and António Baião. 1989. “Documentos e Livros Da Antiga Casa Da Coroa.” In O Arquivo Da Torre Do Tombo: Sua História, Corpos Que o Compõem e Organização, 23–30. Lisbon: ANTT; Livros Horizonte.

Farinha, Maria do Carmo Jasmins Dias, and Maria de Fátima Dentinho Ó Ramos. 1996. Núcleo Antigo: Inventário. Lisbon: AN/TT.

Mattoso, José, ed. 1998. Guia Geral dos Fundos da Torre do Tombo: Instituições do Antigo Regime, Administração Central. Vol. 1. Lisbon: IAN/TT.

Olival, Fernanda, Isabel Castro Pina, Maria Cecília Henriques, and Maria João Violante Branco, eds. 1999. Guia de fontes portuguesas para a história da Ásia. Lisbon: Comissão Nacional para as Comemorações dos Descobrimentos Portugueses; Fundação Oriente; Imprensa Nacional-Casa da Moeda.

Pina, Isabel Castro, and Maria Leonor Ferraz de Oliveira Silva Santos, eds. 1991. Guia de fontes portuguesas para a história de África. Lisbon: Comissão Nacional para as Comemorações dos Descobrimentos Portugueses : Fundação Oriente : Imprensa Nacional-Casa de Moeda.

Links to finding aids

https://digitarq.arquivos.pt/details?id=4162481

Bibliography

Gomes, Rita Costa. 1987. A Guarda Medieval 1200-1500. Lisbon: Sá da Costa.

Gomes, Saul. 2013. A Comunidade Judaica de Coimbra Medieval. Coimbra: INATEL.

Ramos, Tiago, Alcina Cameijo, and Daniel Martins. 2019. “A judiaria da Guarda: textos e contextos.” In Inclusão e exclusão na Europa urbana medieval, 333–78. Estudos 19. Lisbon; Castelo de Vide: IEM; Câmara Municipal de Castelo de Vide.

Silva, A. Vieira da. 1899. “A Judiaria Velha de Lisboa: estudo topographico sobre a antiga Lisboa.” O Archeologo Português 5 (11–12): 305–26.