Church of Santa Engrácia, in Lisbon: four work contracts of the 17th century not fully known

Abstract

The main goal of this brief research note is to disseminate the full paleographic transcription of four works contracts relating to the Church of Santa Engrácia in Lisbon. Dating from the 17th century, between 1606 and 1678, they refer to a chronology that precedes the current Baroque church, whose construction began in 1682, providing invaluable information on the characteristics of the buildings that, in the same place, were previously consecrated to Santa Engrácia. The content of the documents, whose spelling is very difficult to read, was only partially used by the authors who refer to them. Its comprehension, facilitated by the integral paleographic transcription, is supported by a brief critical introduction that allows contextualizing the facts, shedding new light on the troubled history of the Church of Santa Engrácia, in particular during the periods of the Iberian Union and the subsequent Restoration of Independence.