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Articles

No. 14 (2023): ARTis ON 14 - Multithematic Issue

The Most Valuable Jewel in a House: the Library of Dom João de Mendonça, Bishop of Guarda

DOI
https://doi.org/10.37935/iha.aon2023.006
Submitted
March 2, 2024
Published
2023-12-30

Abstract

In the artistic panorama of 17th and 18th century Portugal, the bishops are among the main actors whose patronage is still largely unstudied. In this context, we find people who were notable in their time for their enormous intellect and erudition. Among these figures is Dom João de Mendonça (1673-1736), the bishop who governed the diocese of Guarda for twenty-three years and seven months, and whose legacy is mainly associated with the Gardens of the Bishop’s Palace in Castelo Branco. Based on the analysis of the posthumous inventory (1736), and following the principle ‘tell us what you read and we will tell you who you are’, we will present the content of his extensive and valuable library, which reveals a man with a wide-ranging view of human existence.

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