PTDC/ART-HIS/0739/2020

Research Unit: IEM-NOVA FCSH 
Participant Institutions: LAQV REQUIMTE, NOVA FCT; Laboratório Hércules, University of Évora; CESEM NOVA FCSH
Associated Institutions: CEHR-UCP; Torre do Tombo 

Lead Researcher: Catarina Fernandes Barreira 
Assistant Lead Researcher: Conceição Casanova 
Research Team:  Catarina Fernandes Barreira (LR), Conceição Casanova (Co-LR), Catarina Pereira Miguel, Alberto Medina de Seiça, Ana Tourais, Catarina Pinheiro, Catarina Tibúrcio, Diana Martins, Isabel Pombo Cardoso, Gonçalo Melo da Silva, João Luís Inglês Fontes, Jonathan Wilson, Luís Filipe Oliveira, Luís Miguel Rêpas, Maria da Conceição Oliveira, Maria Filomena Andrade, Mário Farelo, Mercedes Pérez Vidal, Miguel Metelo de Seixas, Paula Cardoso, Paulo Catarino Lopes, Rui Araújo, Silvia Scardina e Zuelma Chaves
Consultants: Manuel Pedro Ferreira, Maria do Rosário Morujão and Teresa Quilhó 
Duration: 2021-2024 

The project objectives involve the interdisciplinary study of the illuminated liturgical codices that made up part of the library collection of Lorvão Abbey, the first female Cistercian establishment in Portugal, thereby contributing to integrating national monastic studies into gender studies for the period ranging from the early 13th century through to the late 16th century with a corpus made up of around three dozen codices. 

We seek to analyse this corpus, on the one hand, in material terms, thus characteristics of the codices ranging from their illuminated decoration, the pigments/inks and parchments applied, through to the binding materials and methods, extending to a survey of their conservation and any additions/alterations experienced, thus contributing to the history of the book and conservation; on the other hand, in terms of the liturgies and contents, characterising their uses and types of circulation in the monastery as well as the role of the nuns in commissioning and establishing/conserving this library. This interdisciplinary study will generate findings capable of contributing towards substantiating hypotheses as regards the characterisation of scriptorium or scriptoria as the origins of the codices and their particularities as well as understanding whether the liturgy practiced in Lorvão during its nunnery period displays identity features and/or submitted to the prevailing unanimous Cistercian liturgy.