In 1945, Alberto Iria (1909–1992), a historian from Olhão, found a set of books with medieval characteristics in the old National Assembly’s Archive Library, where he worked as a librarian. Iria soon realised what the books were and their historical value.
WORDS Nelson Vaquinhas and Ana Saraiva
In 1956, when Iria published his research work O Algarve e os Descobrimentos (The Algarve and the Discoveries), he “revealed the existence of council minutes dating back to 1384–85, which gave Loulé possession of the oldest council minutes in the country”¹ , a record which still stands today. These are not just any council minutes, but a unique historical treasure which provides unparalleled insights into the past. In addition to these, there are also council minutes dated from 1497, albeit with some significant interruptions, among “other gems for mediaevalists (inventories of young couples’ assets, income and expenditure books, a book recording the assets inherited by orphans when their parents died, and various tax records)”².
In 1983, the minutes were transferred to what would become the Loulé Historical Archive, which allowed them to be better preserved and studied by various historians. Between 23–25 November 1984, on the occasion of the inauguration of the archive, the 1st Conference of Medieval History of the Algarve and Andalusia was held. Here, the historic minutes were publicly recognised as a valuable document and historical gem. “The Municipal Archive of Loulé was already one of the most important in the country for the study of the Middle Ages; with this addition, its interest was reinforced, bringing it into line with the richest Portuguese municipal archives”³.
These documents have been a cornerstone for many researchers studying the mediaeval period, their historical relevance and documental rarity leading the Loulé City Council in 2018 to propose to the Directorate-General for Books, Archives and Libraries that a procedure be opened to classify the Council Minutes of the Municipality of Loulé (14th and 15th centuries) as an archival cultural asset of national interest. The council minutes have not only been preserved, but they continue to shape our understanding of the medieval period, making them a vital resource for historical research.
By Decree No. 18/2019 of 16 July, “the 11 books of Council Minutes of the Municipality of Loulé […], designated as ‘national treasure’, are classified as archival assets of national interest” .
The municipality of Loulé and the country as a whole are very proud of this accolade, which was celebrated on 12 November 2019 at the Cineteatro Louletano with the presence of researchers who had studied this precious set of mediaeval council minutes.
- Sabóia, J. (1993). O Arquivo Histórico Municipal de Loulé: 3 anos de organização, difusão e cooperação arquivística. Al Ulyã, (2), 227
- Loulé City Council (1999/2000). Al-Ulyã, separata (7), 14
- Duarte, L. M. (1995). Documentação medieval e moderna recentemente incorporada no Arquivo Municipal de Loulé. Revista de História, 13, 69-74. https://ler.letras.up.pt/uploads/ficheiros/6356.pdf
