Notes on the history of Medieval Portuguese notaries

Abstract

Following a list of more recent bibliography on the history of Portuguese Medieval notaries, this paper focuses on the issue of their establishment in the country, between the 12th and 13th century, followed by a reference to the social role they played in the 14th century, particularly centred on the judgement that, in around 1340, D. Álvaro Pais, the renowned author of De statu et planctu Ecclesie and Bishop of Silves, passed on their performance in general. In conclusion, the role of this legal and intellectual body in guaranteeing people's legal rights is assessed, based on the analysis of municipal procurators' speeches delivered at the parliamentary sessions in the 14 hundreds.