This issue counts on the collaboration of Peter Edbury, Inês Olaia, Marco Sousa Santos, Daniel Santana, Nicolás Moreira Alaniz, Joseph T. Snow, Hilário Franco Júnior, Santiago Barreiro, Duarte Maria Monteiro de Babo Marinho, António Rei, Mariña Bermúdez Beloso, Francisco Pato de Macedo, Margarida Leme, Diogo Cardoso Gomes, Philippe Josserand, Miguel Metelo de Seixas, Adelaide Miranda, Isabel Barros Dias and Paulo Catarino Lopes.

In the previous issue of Medievalista, placed online on 1 July 2019, the Editorial referenced how the announcement by the FCT – the Foundation for Science and Technology of the results of the evaluation process of Portuguese Research Units would be arriving soon. In fact, the classifications for the Centres, attributed by panels of international specialists, were released that same month.

In the case of the Institute of Medieval Studies (IEM), the work carried out over the period 2014-2017 and the Strategic Project proposed for 2019-2022 gained the classification of “Excellent”. This is a result that honours the IEM, its leadership and all those who develop and engage their actions in it and who hereby see their efforts and the quality of their research initiatives and outputs duly recognised. However, this is also an added responsibility for our Institute, as a whole and for each of its members. The increase in public funding as a consequence of the change from the previous classification (“Very Good”) to that now attributed, which does not allow for extravagances, but will allow for some relief from past constraints, whether in fundamental research or, for example, in the functioning of our journal.

And Medievalista is not shy as its regular biannual edition and this issue prove. In addition to the feature devoted to a study by Peter Edbury on the French translation of William of Tyre’s History, which was made at the time of the abolition of the Order of the Templars, the Articles section includes papers by Inês Olaia on “O Rei que Esmorece” (The Crusading King), by Marco Sousa Santos and Daniel Santana on “O Cruzeiro Medieval de Tavira” (The Tavira Medieval Cross), by Joseph T. Snow on “Mary’s Role in the Repudiation of the Beliefs of Pagans, Jews and Moors”, by Hilário Franco Júnior on “A Serpente, Espelho de Eva. Iconografia, Analogia and Misoginia em Fins da Idade Média” (The Snake, Eve’s Mirror. Iconography, Analogy and Misogyny in the Late Middle Ages), by Santiago Barreiro on “El País de onde Vienen los Monstruos…“, and by Duarte de Babo Marinho on “A diplomacia e os diplomatas na baixa Média portuguesa (1431-1475)” (Diplomacy and diplomates in the early Portuguese Middle Ages).

In the Reviews section, António Rei, Mariña Bermúdez Beloso and Francisco Pato de Macedo review three books that have recently come out and are well worth knowing. The Thesis Presentation section reveals, through the pen of the respective authors, the contents of Margarida Leme’s PhD thesis, Diogo Cardoso Gomes’s Master’s dissertation and the lesson delivered by Philippe Josserand within the scope of a higher academic career progression exam held in France (tenure processes), with an original and in the meantime published essay on Jacques de Molay, the last Templar master. In Varia, Miguel Metelo de Seixas reviews the Open course held at the Monastery of Batalha on the theme “No Tempo de D. João I” (In the Time of King João I), Adelaide Miranda and Isabel Barros Dias report on the Tribute paid to Professor Aires Nascimento, and finally Paulo Catarino Lopes writes about the most recent edition of the José Mattoso Seminar.

Regarding this medievalist who is a central IEM reference, having also edited this journal for years, it is with great celebration that we may here refer to the “Tree of Life Prize – Father Manuel Antunes”, awarded to him by the National Secretariat of Pastoral Culture in 2019. The award, now in its 15th edition, aims to highlight human journeys and works that stand out in areas of knowledge, artistic creativity or social action and that reflect the human and Christian values considered fundamental by the instituting entity. This award joins so many others that Mattoso has been distinguished with throughout his career as an historian and including among which the “Pessoa Award”, in its first edition in 1987, particular stands out. The Editorial Board of Medievalista warmly salutes José Mattoso, our “Lifetime Director”, for this fair recognition of his historiographical work and the intellectual and civic attitude that is a reference to all of us.

The new issue is available at https://medievalista.iem.fcsh.unl.pt/.