Inquisição do Porto
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
Contact information: email
mail@dglab.gov.pt
Reference number
PT/TT/TSO-IP
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (English)
Inquisition of Porto
Title (official language of the state)
Inquisição do Porto
Language of title
eng
Creator / accumulator
Tribunal do Santo Ofício
Date(s)
1536/1545
Language(s)
por
Extent
13 storage units (2 books and 11 bundles)
Type of material
Textual Material
Scope and content
This subfonds of the Tribunal do Santo Ofício gathers a few records produced by the Inquisition of Porto during its short lifetime. This court was created in 1541 and shut down on the occasion of the general pardon in 1547.
This small collection includes two books with records of denunciations made to the Porto court in 1541-1543 (PT/TT/TSO-IP/001/0001) and 1542-1544 (PT/TT/TSO-IP/001/0002), and eleven bundles containing trials and other records, such as an enquiry into the transport of prisoners from Bragança to Porto (PT/TT/TSO-IP/002/0003/00002), the record of an investigation in Mesão Frio (PT/TT/TSO-IP/002/0005/00004), an order of the corregidor of Porto on the seizure of goods belonging to some New Christians (PT/TT/TSO-IP/002/0008/00003), a report of an incident that took place in the Inquisition's carcels (PT/TT/TSO-IP/002/0008/00012), or the ratification of complaints made during an Inquisition's visit in Azurara (PT/TT/TSO-IP/002/0009/00007). Some of these records and trials are related to New Christians accused of Judaising.
This small collection includes two books with records of denunciations made to the Porto court in 1541-1543 (PT/TT/TSO-IP/001/0001) and 1542-1544 (PT/TT/TSO-IP/001/0002), and eleven bundles containing trials and other records, such as an enquiry into the transport of prisoners from Bragança to Porto (PT/TT/TSO-IP/002/0003/00002), the record of an investigation in Mesão Frio (PT/TT/TSO-IP/002/0005/00004), an order of the corregidor of Porto on the seizure of goods belonging to some New Christians (PT/TT/TSO-IP/002/0008/00003), a report of an incident that took place in the Inquisition's carcels (PT/TT/TSO-IP/002/0008/00012), or the ratification of complaints made during an Inquisition's visit in Azurara (PT/TT/TSO-IP/002/0009/00007). Some of these records and trials are related to New Christians accused of Judaising.
Archival history
After the extinction of the Inquisition of Porto in 1547, its archive was incorporated into the Inquisition of Coimbra.
A royal order of July 31, 1824, ordered the Holy Office's registry offices to be transferred to the Torre do Tombo. The archive of the Tribunal of Coimbra was then stored in the censorship warehouse in the Biblioteca Pública de Lisboa (Public Library of Lisbon).
However, the transference process lasted for a few years. On May 4, 1836, Queen Maria II gave orders to gather the documents of the extinct Inquisitions and transfer them to the Archive of Torre do Tombo. It is believed that the transfer occurred immediately, as the documentation was already in the Torre do Tombo on June 21.
Some items were occasionally reproduced on microfilm in the 20th century. Currently, a project to digitise the entire collection is underway. Some items are already available online.
A royal order of July 31, 1824, ordered the Holy Office's registry offices to be transferred to the Torre do Tombo. The archive of the Tribunal of Coimbra was then stored in the censorship warehouse in the Biblioteca Pública de Lisboa (Public Library of Lisbon).
However, the transference process lasted for a few years. On May 4, 1836, Queen Maria II gave orders to gather the documents of the extinct Inquisitions and transfer them to the Archive of Torre do Tombo. It is believed that the transfer occurred immediately, as the documentation was already in the Torre do Tombo on June 21.
Some items were occasionally reproduced on microfilm in the 20th century. Currently, a project to digitise the entire collection is underway. Some items are already available online.
Administrative / Biographical history
The Holy Office Tribunal was officially established by the papal bull Cum ad nihil magis on May 23, 1536. Then, the royal court was settled in Évora. When the king moved to Lisbon in 1537, the Holy Office Tribunal followed him. The Inquisition of Lisbon was the only Inquisition court until 1541. Then, the courts of Coimbra, Évora, Porto, Lamego and Tomar were created. The latter three courts had short lives and were extinct in 1547 after the general pardon given by Pope Paul III to the New Christians and the following reorganisation of the Holy Office Tribunal.
The different territories of continental Portugal were under the authority of the courts of Lisbon (Central region), Coimbra (Northern region) and Évora (Southern region).
The first Regiment of the Inquisition was only published in 1552. These by-laws were reviewed and collected in new regiments in 1613, 1640 and 1774. During the reign of King José, the Holy Office Tribunal became a royal court. It had already lost its primary target — the New Christians or conversos — after the decree that abolished the distinction between New and Old Christians in 1773. In addition, the censorship authority was transferred from the Holy Office to another secular tribunal, the Mesa da Consciência e Ordens. The Inquisition entered decadence, and following the Liberal Revolution, the Cortes Gerais Constituintes (Parliament) extinguished the Holy Office Tribunal in 1821.
The different territories of continental Portugal were under the authority of the courts of Lisbon (Central region), Coimbra (Northern region) and Évora (Southern region).
The first Regiment of the Inquisition was only published in 1552. These by-laws were reviewed and collected in new regiments in 1613, 1640 and 1774. During the reign of King José, the Holy Office Tribunal became a royal court. It had already lost its primary target — the New Christians or conversos — after the decree that abolished the distinction between New and Old Christians in 1773. In addition, the censorship authority was transferred from the Holy Office to another secular tribunal, the Mesa da Consciência e Ordens. The Inquisition entered decadence, and following the Liberal Revolution, the Cortes Gerais Constituintes (Parliament) extinguished the Holy Office Tribunal in 1821.
Access points: locations
Access points: corporate bodies
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
Access, restrictions
Digital copies are available online:
Finding aids
Links to finding aids
Author of the description
Carla Vieira, 2023
Bibliography
Linked resources
Filter by property
| Title | Alternate label | Class |
|---|---|---|
| Arquivo Nacional da Torre do Tombo | Collections (official language of the state) |
| Title | Alternate label | Class |
|---|---|---|
| Tribunal do Santo Ofício | Scope and content |