Ex libris, a book among books

Every month the CAM Library highlights a work from its Special Collection, to promote and divulge this collection with unique features, such as its novelty and cultural heritage value.

Ex libris, April 2012

MORENO, Humberto Baquero - Tensões sociais em Portugal na Idade Média. [S.l.] : Athena, [1975?]. 193, [6] p.

“In this collection we have assembled a number of historical research studies relating to a particular social theme. Our purpose was to analyse medieval society through the various tensions that characterised its evolutionary process. Setting aside the concept of a social organisation in strata, under a pre-established and apparently static ‘order’, we mostly sought to determine the modes of reaction or unrest that affected society. Each study essentially followed the purpose of isolating the factors responsible for triggering social tensions (...) We emphasize, however, the strong antagonism that existed between classes and groups within the social context”. (Taken from the introduction)

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Ex libris, March 2012

COELHO, P. M. Laranjo - Terras de Odiana : subsídios para a sua história documentada. - Coimbra: Imprensa da Universidade, 1924. – 411 p.: il.

"This volume, the beginning of a wide series of studies on regional geography and history of the northern part of the former province of Odiana, will constitute a modest and already promised contribution towards this end, a small collection of contributions for the history of a region that besides being Portuguese, has a special interest for those of us who were born there [...]" (COELHO, 1924: 1-2) [Freely translated]. Although this was the only volume to be published, it describes the history of the present municipalities of Castelo de Vide and Marvão, depicting people and customs from prehistoric times to the early twentieth century.

This is a rare first edition, of which only 100 copies were published.

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Ex libris, February 2012

DUBY, Georges - O tempo das catedrais: a arte e a sociedade, 980-1420. - Lisboa: Estampa, 1979. - 314, [3] p.: il.; 21 cm. - (Imprensa universitária; 8)

Throughout the three parts of this book – the Monastery 980-1130, the Cathedral 1130-1280 and the Palace 1280-1420 – the author examines the social and cultural contexts that guided artistic creation in the West between the 10th and 15th centuries. The evolution of art and architecture is thus seen through the evolution of mentalities, of society, and of political and religious power during three periods: the first one marked by monastic culture and the weakening of royal power, the second by the development of cities and of large Gothic cathedrals, and finally, the period marked by the Renaissance and the assertion of secular culture.

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Ex libris, January 2012

GARCÍA DE CORTÁZAR, José Ángel; MUNITA, José Antonio; FORTÚN, Luís Javier (dir.) – Codiphis: catálogo de colecciones diplomáticas hispano-lusas de época medieval. Santander: Fundación Marcelino Botín, 1999. – 2 vol.; 20 cm. – (Historia y documentos Instrumentos para la investigación; 6.5.1; 6.5.2). – Biblioteca José Mattoso. ISBN 84-87678-78-5 (vol. 1). ISBN 84-87678-79-3 (vol. 2). ISBN 84-87678-77-7 (obra completa).

In the two volumes of Codiphis, catalogue of Spanish and Portuguese diplomatic collections from the Middle Ages, all of the 1030 identified collections are analysed, with a total of about 190,000 documents published in Spain and Portugal between 1901 and 1996. In this catalogue, a “collection” is defined as a set of texts with 20 or more documental units published independently, whose diplomatic category is generally that of a “letter”. Chronologically, the diplomatic collections presented in this catalogue refer to the Middle Ages, from the 8th to the 16th centuries. The catalogue is preceded by a study of the publishing of documental sources in both countries during the 19th century. According to its preface, signed by the Fundación Marcelino Botín, this book has no precedent in world historiography and is regarded as an instrument of fundamental importance in the study of Spanish and Portuguese medieval history.

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Ex libris, December 2011

ARNAUT, Salvador Dias - A arte de comer em Portugal na Idade Média : (introdução a "O livro de cozinha" da Infanta D. Maria de Portugal). Lisboa : Imprensa Nacional-Casa da Moeda, imp. 1986. 139, [2] p.

This work presents itself as an introductory study of the Portuguese codex entitled “Livro de cozinha da Infanta D. Maria (“Infanta Maria’s cook book”). This work describes the eating habits of the Portuguese during the Middle Ages (12th-15th centuries). The subject matter of this book includes: the use of bread, meat, fish and wine, among other foodstuffs; the kitchen and staff; the number of meals a day and, finally, the dining room and table manners.

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