Na Sala dos Capelos da Universidade de Coimbra, a 19 de Dezembro de 2012, foram realizadas as Provas Públicas que aprovaram por unanimidade com Distinção e Louvor a então candidata, Maria Amélia Álvaro Campos. O aturado estudo consagrado à colegiada de Santa Justa de Coimbra na Idade Média, centrou-se sobre a análise do espaço urbano no qual a colegiada e paróquia de Santa Justa se firmou e expandiu entre os séculos XI e XV, mas também não olvidou a análise dos seus espaços religiosos e socio-económicos. A tese de Doutoramento que agora analisamos contou com a orientação da Professora Doutora Maria Helena da Cruz Coelho e com a Professoras Doutoras Hermínia Vasconcelos Vilar e Maria José Azevedo Santos como arguentes. O júri das provas foi ainda integrado pela Professora Doutora Maria Alegria Fernandes Marques, pela Professora Doutora Ana Maria Rodriguese pelo Professor Doutor Saul António Gomes.

From its inception, the ecclesiastical jurisdiction has defined a dynamic of territorial power, reinforced by the Gregorian Reform, which imposed and regulated the payment of ancestral taxes and hardened the line of authority attached to different ecclesiastical bodies, locally and regionally. The mandatory nature of the tithes illustrates the consolidation of this hierarchical structure. Analysing the payment of this universal tax, its collection systems and mechanisms, as well as its taxpayers and beneficiaries, can bring to light important information on local church structures and their real control of the territory. On the other hand, episodes of conflict and non-payment can explain the jurisdictional, ecclesiastical and financial interests in cause. The present paper addresses a case judged on an episcopal hearing in Coimbra, in the middle of the 14th century, which opposed the prior of a city-hinterland church to the church of São Cristóvão of Coimbra. Through its analysis, we will try to reflect on the ecclesiastical dialectics of parish relations under a framework defined by the diocese of Coimbra and the relational dynamics established between the city (headquarters of the diocese) and its hinterland.

From its inception, the ecclesiastical jurisdiction has defined a dynamic of territorial power, reinforced by the Gregorian Reform, which imposed and regulated the payment of ancestral taxes and hardened the line of authority attached to different ecclesiastical bodies, locally and regionally. The mandatory nature of the tithes illustrates the consolidation of this hierarchical structure. Analysing the payment of this universal tax, its collection systems and mechanisms, as well as its taxpayers and beneficiaries, can bring to light important information on local church structures and their real control of the territory. On the other hand, episodes of conflict and non-payment can explain the jurisdictional, ecclesiastical and financial interests in cause. The present paper addresses a case judged on an episcopal hearing in Coimbra, in the middle of the 14th century, which opposed the prior of a city-hinterland church to the church of São Cristóvão of Coimbra. Through its analysis, we will try to reflect on the ecclesiastical dialectics of parish relations under a framework defined by the diocese of Coimbra and the relational dynamics established between the city (headquarters of the diocese) and its hinterland.

A cidade é um organismo vivo cuja morfologia está sujeita a contantes transformações que visam dar resposta às necessidades dos seus habitantes. Só o olhar da História e da História da Arte podem recriar o transformado; ler os estratos do palimpsesto; e devolver à memória urbana a origem matricial dos edifícios, praças, bairros, ruas e arruamentos que dão vida à cidade de hoje. Referenciada desde 1155, a igreja românica de Santa Justa de Coimbra funcionou no arrabalde Norte dessa cidade até 1710. Longe do núcleo amuralhado, implantado numa região arenosa próxima da margem do rio, este edifício enfrentou cheias sazonais e os efeitos do assoreamento e do alteamento das margens. Da igreja e respetivo adro, restam parte da estrutura (um edifício entretanto secularizado e degradado) e um terreiro (conhecido por Terreiro da Erva). Este complexo urbano está atualmente implantado numa superfície muito superior à medieval e as escavações arqueológicas têm sido infrutíferas, dada a elevada cota do lençol freático. Só a articulação exaustiva da informação proveniente das fontes escritas permitirá interpretar a história deste espaço urbano de leitura tão difícil. Neste estudo, pretende-se apresentar uma proposta da estrutura da igreja românica e do seu adro, bem como das transformações físicas até ao século XVI. Esse esboço resultará da análise das informações sobre o espaço, contidas na documentação medieval. Para tal, serão examinados, entre outros documentos, aqueles que fazem referência aos túmulos, altares e capelas, bem como os registos de visitações episcopais e o regimento da igreja. Com base em premissas metodológicas delineadas na obra A Cripto-História da Arte (2001), considera-se possível caracterizar a estrutura românica desaparecida. Finalmente, essa caracterização, contextualizada pelo conhecimento que temos das dinâmicas urbanas desta paróquia medieval, permitirá apresentar uma proposta de legenda para o atual espaço da cidade.

The city is a living organism whose morphologyundergoes constant transformations according to theneeds of its residents. History and History of Art only canrecreate what has changed; read the strata of palimpsest;and restore the urban memory of the original matrix ofbuildings, squares, neighbourhoods, streets and layoutsthat give life to the cities of today.References to the Romanesque Church of SantaJusta of Coimbra, which developed its work in the Northernoutskirts of the city until 1710, date back to 1155. Removedfrom the city walls and located in the sandy lands of theriver banks, the building withstood seasonal flooding andthe impact of silting and river bank heightening. From thechurch only part of the structure (nowadays a secular anddegraded building) and the churchyard (known as Terreiroda Erva) remains.This urban complex is currently part of a muchhigher surface and archaeological excavations have beenmostly unsuccessful due to high water table levels. Only acomprehensive articulation of information from writtensources will allow us to interpret the history of this urbanspace, whose reading is rendered so hard.The present study will propose a structure for theRomanesque church and respective yard, as well as for thephysical transformations the space experienced until the16th century. This outline will result from the analysis ofinformation obtained from medieval documents concerningthis space. With this in mind, a series of documents willbe examined, including references to tombs, altars andchantries, as well as records of episcopal visitations andchurch regulations.Based on methodological assumptions set forth bythe work A Cripto-História da Arte (2001), we believe wecan describe this lost Romanesque structure. Finally, thisoutline, sustained on our knowledge of this medieval parishand its urban dynamics, will allows us to propose a readingfor the space that is the city of our days.