The Royal Hospital of Coimbra: the archives of a medical institution (1504-1772)

Abstract

The Royal Hospital of Coimbra, founded by D. Manuel, in 1504, was a center of medical and hospital assistance, having collaborated directly with the Faculty of Medicine, by the franking of its doors to the medical practice of students and by receiving, as their doctors, many of the teachers of this Faculty. Who was assisted in the hospital, where they came from and which social framework represented, is part of the data that we can discover through the analysis of the documentation produced and accumulated by the institution. Economic survival depended on the good administration of an heritage (both urban and rustic) which stretched from Coimbra to Montemor-o-Velho, Seia and Alvoco da Serra, collected from royal and private donations, illustrated by a archival fonds that survived.
The work aims at the description of this archival fonds which is kept on the Archives of the University of Coimbra, produced in the chronological period from 1448 to 1772, and accumulated between 1504 and 1772, dates of foundation and extinction of the hospital. After that year, was indexed to the University, following the Pombal’s reform of 1772. Applied to all the work of archival description was international standard ISAD(G) and the national guideline stated in ODA, being also presented the fond’s inventory and respective series, as well as an attachment with a reference code list of physical archival holdings.