Boletim do Arquivo da Universidade de Coimbra

Contributos para a História da Tipografia em Coimbra: o contrato de impressão de João Álvares com o Mosteiro de Santa Cruz (1566)

2025-07-30T21:26:11+01:00

The present article aims to examine a printing contract dated 1566, signed between João Álvares, the printer of the University of Coimbra, and the Monastery of Santa Cruz. This document, preserved in the Archive of the University of Coimbra, represents a rare exemplar of its kind, with few surviving instances from the 16th-century period in Portugal. Printing contracts contain pivotal information, not only about the production of a book, but also about the role of the agents involves in the creation and trade of printed objects, thus acquiring unique importance for Book History.

The printing contract in question pertains to the production of a new breviary, which was commissioned by the Monastery of Santa Cruz and entrusted to the printer of the University of Coimbra, João Álvares. The present article provides a contextual framework for the contract within the broader career trajectory of João Álvares, followed by a meticulous examination of the document’s terms, which is appended. Furthermore, it presents an approach to the study of another book printed in Coimbra, as mentioned in this contract, with the aim of demonstrating how manuscripts can offer essential insights into the circulation of books that are not captured within their printed content.

Diplomatic Study of the Documentation of D. Leonor of Austria, Queen of Portugal and France

2025-07-10T20:19:38+01:00

This study examines the documentation of Queen Leonor of Austria from a diplomatic perspective, considering her unique position as consort of the kingdoms of Portugal and France, Infanta of Castile and Aragon, and sister of Emperor Charles V. Throughout her life, Queen Leonor adapted her documentary practices to the traditions of each kingdom, while preserving distinctive elements related to her lineage. This was uncommon, although it can be observed in certain Portuguese consorts of the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries.

The analysis is structured around the three documentary elements that allow the identification of the issuer: intitulatio, seal, and signature. Particular attention is given to the latter, due to its high archival value in distinguishing Queen Leonor from other contemporary queens, thus avoiding incorrect or ambiguous attributions in archival holdings. The study also highlights the influence that certain queens exerted on the creation of the documentary image of their successors, especially the influence that Queen Maria of Castile, aunt of Leonor and also wife of King Manuel, had on her.

Information Science in the University of Coimbra: an epistemological study of the master’s and Ph.D. research

2025-07-21T12:03:13+01:00

Information Science (IS) is still building its own epistemological identity, a desideratum that has been distinguished by a succession and coexistence of paradigms. One of the most influential proposals is the classical triad of paradigms explored and deepened by Rafael Capurro: the physical, the cognitive and the social. On this basis, the main aim of this study is to look into in which of these paradigms fit the research of the master’s and Ph.D. in IS of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of the University of Coimbra (FLUC).
The adopted methodology, based on the methods of literature search and qualitative content analysis, was grounded on the analysis of a total of 109 master’s dissertations and Ph.D. theses in IS defended in the FLUC (deposited in the institutional repository), between 2006 and 2022.
We conclude that, in the light of the physical, cognitive and social paradigms, there is not a single and univocal epistemological orientation. Rather, there is a hegemony of the physical paradigm, in line with both the Spanish and French epistemological trend in the IS domain, related, above all, to a secular documentalist tradition, coexisting with a significant, yet not preeminent, presence of the social paradigm. The incidence of the cognitive paradigm is less meaningful and appears always complemented by an approach that partly tends towards the premisses of the social paradigm.

The Quiñones Counts of Luna Archive (León, Spain)

2025-06-30T20:49:13+01:00

This paper presents an overview of the history of the Quiñones family archive, Counts of Luna in León (Spain). The methodology used is based on the analysis of the description and control instruments developed by the archive's curators, the study of the marks left by archival practice on the documentary units, and the news about the archive and its use that has come down to us.

As The bindings of the tombos of the Episcopal Mitra of Coimbra (16th to 18th centuries)

2025-06-30T10:11:28+01:00

The aim of this article is to identify types of binding that are characteristic of a certain chronological period by analysing 57 books from Mitra Episcopal de Coimbra, from the 16^th to the 18^th century, and their respective decoration. There are four different types of binding: parchment, leather-covered cardboard, engraved or not, board and cardboard lined with pink paper. The description sheets for each of the codices are attached.