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The dissertation investigates the testamentary production of the clergy of the Porto Cathedral Chapter between the 13th and 14th centuries, focusing on its discursive tradition. Through the analysis of six wills — belonging to bishops, chantres, and a canon — the study demonstrates how these documents are not merely legal instruments, but also expressions of faith, memorial strategies, and testimonies of an institutionalised written culture. The research applies the theory of discursive traditions, considering the wills as texts characterised by stable formulas and shared spiritual meanings.
The dissertation also provides a detailed diplomatic and textual analysis of each testament, examining structural elements such as invocations, spiritual provisions, material legacies, and sanction clauses. The study highlights the evolution of language (from Latin to medieval Portuguese), the standardisation of testamentary formulas, and the centrality of divine intercession, particularly Marian devotion.
Furthermore, the work offers a historical contextualisation of the Porto Cathedral Chapter, emphasising its internal organisation, liturgical functions, and its tensions with episcopal and royal authority. The drafting of the testament is presented as a ritual of preparation for death and a mechanism for preserving the clergyman’s memory within the community. Ultimately, the author argues that the wills functioned as an interface between the individual and the ecclesiastical institution, revealing the religious and social sensitivities of the medieval clerical world.