Mosteiro de São Jerónimo de Penha Longa
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
Contact information: email
mail@dglab.gov.pt
Reference number
PT/TT/MSJPL
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (English)
Monastery of São Jerónimo de Penha Longa
Title (official language of the state)
Mosteiro de São Jerónimo de Penha Longa
Language of title
por
Creator / accumulator
Mosteiro de São Jerónimo de Penha Longa
Date(s)
1352/1833
Language(s)
lat
por
Extent
12 books and 29 bundles
Type of material
Textual Material
Physical condition
Satisfactory
Scope and content
The Mosteiro de São Jerónimo de Penha Longa fonds comprises documentation produced by or related to this monastery near Sintra. It contains inventories of assets and incomes, indexes of documents in the registry, books of revenues and expenses, property records, royal letters and sentences, donations, documents related to the admission and daily life of the friars, etc. The property records mention estates belonging to the monastery and located, in particular, in the outskirts of Cascais, Sintra, and Lisbon. Among its 14th- and 15th-century records, it is possible to find some scattered pieces of evidence on the Jewish communities settled in these localities. It is the case of the following two examples:
Maço (bundle) 4 (PT/TT/MSJPL/M004), n.º 23: Copy of an "emprazamento" (emphyteusis contract) of an estate belonging to José Fadaley, a Jewish blacksmith. February 25, 1485.
Maço 17 (PT/TT/MSJPL/M017), n.º 21: Sale of an estate in Sintra's outskirts made by the above-mentioned José Fadaley and his wife to João Rodrigues, a valet, who lived in Cascais' vicinity.
We would like to thank Inês Olaia for the information regarding these records.
Maço (bundle) 4 (PT/TT/MSJPL/M004), n.º 23: Copy of an "emprazamento" (emphyteusis contract) of an estate belonging to José Fadaley, a Jewish blacksmith. February 25, 1485.
Maço 17 (PT/TT/MSJPL/M017), n.º 21: Sale of an estate in Sintra's outskirts made by the above-mentioned José Fadaley and his wife to João Rodrigues, a valet, who lived in Cascais' vicinity.
We would like to thank Inês Olaia for the information regarding these records.
Archival history
After the dissolution of the Monastery of São Jerónimo de Penha Longa in 1834, its archive was transferred to the registry of the Direcção-Geral dos Próprios Nacionais (General Directorate of the National Assets). Later, on April 1, 1871, it was incorporated in the Torre do Tombo. Other records that were stored in the Repartição da Fazenda do Distrito de Lisboa (the Treasury Department of the District of Lisbon) were also transferred to the archive in 1883.
Part of the documentation of the Monastery of São Jerónimo, as well as other registries from extinct convents and monasteries in Portugal, was gathered in the so-called Colecção Especial (Special Collection). Between 1938 and 1990, this documentation was gradually organised in fonds in an attempt to reconstruct the original registries. The records were arranged chronologically and gathered in bundles of about 40 items each, with a sequential numeration. At the end of the 1990s, the geographical arrangement by place of origin was replaced by an organisation by religious orders.
The records' description in the archive's online database was produced following the abstracts on the back of the documents or previous finding aids.
Part of the documentation of the Monastery of São Jerónimo, as well as other registries from extinct convents and monasteries in Portugal, was gathered in the so-called Colecção Especial (Special Collection). Between 1938 and 1990, this documentation was gradually organised in fonds in an attempt to reconstruct the original registries. The records were arranged chronologically and gathered in bundles of about 40 items each, with a sequential numeration. At the end of the 1990s, the geographical arrangement by place of origin was replaced by an organisation by religious orders.
The records' description in the archive's online database was produced following the abstracts on the back of the documents or previous finding aids.
Administrative / Biographical history
The Monastery of São Jerónimo de Penha Longa was founded in 1400 by the Pope Boniface IX bull "Piis votis fidelium" from April 1. It was built in the Quinta da Penha Longa, where a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Piety probably already existed. The estate had been acquired by friar Vasco de Portugal, a hermit from Leiria, in 1390. He is traditionally considered the founder of the Order of Saint Jerome in Portugal, but he was not the first prior of the monastery. Instead, Pope Boniface IX appointed Priest Fernando João for this position.
Therefore, the Mosteiro de São Jerónimo, also known as Convento de Penha Longa and Mosteiro de Nossa Senhora da Saúde, was a male monastery belonging to the Order of Saint Jerome.
In the beginning, the monastery was under the custody of the bishop of Lisbon but, after 1448, it became directly dependent on the Holy See, and it assumed the function of headquarters of the Order of Saint Jerome in Portugal. It kept this function until 1517, when Pope Leo X selected the Monastery of Santa Maria de Belém to become the head monastery of the Order.
In 1535, King João III created a college in the Monastery of São Jerónimo. However, two years after, the same college was transferred to the monastery of Santa Marinha da Costa de Guimarães, for the convenience of Prince D. Duarte, King João III's son. Notwithstanding, the monastery kept its importance. It hosted the noviciate of the Order of Saint Jerome in Portugal for a long time.
The Monastery was abolished in 1834, like all other male orders and convents in Portugal, following the liberal ecclesiastical reformation. Its assets were incorporated in the Próprios da Fazenda Nacional (National Assets). The building was later sold to private owners. At present, it is a hotel, the Penha Longa Resort.
Therefore, the Mosteiro de São Jerónimo, also known as Convento de Penha Longa and Mosteiro de Nossa Senhora da Saúde, was a male monastery belonging to the Order of Saint Jerome.
In the beginning, the monastery was under the custody of the bishop of Lisbon but, after 1448, it became directly dependent on the Holy See, and it assumed the function of headquarters of the Order of Saint Jerome in Portugal. It kept this function until 1517, when Pope Leo X selected the Monastery of Santa Maria de Belém to become the head monastery of the Order.
In 1535, King João III created a college in the Monastery of São Jerónimo. However, two years after, the same college was transferred to the monastery of Santa Marinha da Costa de Guimarães, for the convenience of Prince D. Duarte, King João III's son. Notwithstanding, the monastery kept its importance. It hosted the noviciate of the Order of Saint Jerome in Portugal for a long time.
The Monastery was abolished in 1834, like all other male orders and convents in Portugal, following the liberal ecclesiastical reformation. Its assets were incorporated in the Próprios da Fazenda Nacional (National Assets). The building was later sold to private owners. At present, it is a hotel, the Penha Longa Resort.
Access points: locations
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
System of arrangement
Storage units (books and bundles) are sequentially numbered.
Access, restrictions
No restrictions, except for records in poor condition or available in digital format.
Finding aids
Handwritten and typewritten finding aids available in the Torre do Tombo:
"Catálogo dos documentos do Mosteiro de Penha Longa relativos a Sintra, ordenado cronologicamente" (Catalogue of documents from the Monastery of Penha Longa related to Sintra, chronologically ordered). 1978 (C 1069-C1070).
"Índice [catálogo] dos livros de diversos conventos, ordens militares e outras corporações religiosas guardados no Arquivo da Torre do Tombo", Conventos Diversos, cad. 3 (Catalogue of books from various convents, military orders and other religious oranisations kept in the Torre do Tombo. Various convents, booklet 3) (C 270) f. 105-106.
"Inventário dos documentos do Mosteiro de São Jerónimo de Penha Longa, 2.ª incorporação" (Inventory of documents from the Monastery of São Jerónimo de Penha Longa, 2nd incorporation). 1952 (C 454-C 457).
"Inventário das Corporações Religiosas, desintegrado da antiga Colecção Especial" (Inventory of religious organizations desintegrated from the old Colecção Especial). 1978 (L 208).
"Relação de documentos vindos da Direcção-Geral dos Próprios Nacionais, em 14 de Maio de 1894 (letras L-V)" (Inventory of documents that went from the Direcção-Geral dos Próprios Nacionais on May 14, 1894 - letters L-V). Topographical organization. It describes 9 books and one bundle of the fonds (C 280), fols. 39-45.
"Relação dos documentos pertencentes ao extinto Convento da Penha Longa que, em virtude da Portaria do Ministério da Fazenda, de 20 de Março de 1865, foram transferidos do cartório da Repartição da Fazenda do Distrito de Lisboa, para o Arquivo da Torre do Tombo, em 9 de Maio de 1883, e dos documentos pertencentes ao cartório deste Convento, transferidos da Direcção-Geral dos Próprios Nacionais para o citado Arquivo, em 1 de Abril de 1871" (Inventory of documents from the extinct Convent of Penha Longa that were transferred from the registry of the Treasury Departmen of the District of Lisbon to the Torre do Tombo on May 9, 1883, and documents from this convent's registry transferred from the Direcção-Geral dos Próprios Nacionais to the same archive on April 1, 1871). It describes bundles 9 and 10. (C 453).
Links to finding aids
Author of the description
Carla Vieira, 2021
Linked resources
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