Was Queen Catherine of Braganza a collector?

Collecting, displaying, consuming at Bemposta, Lisbon

Authors

Keywords:

Collecting, Displaying, Consuming, Braganza, Baroque

Abstract

Catherine of Braganza (1638-1705), Infanta of the Portuguese Royal House and Queen of England, had her last will drafted in 1699 at the Palace of the Counts of Soure in the heart of Bairro Alto, central Lisbon. Six years later, Queen Catherine passed away at her Palace at Bemposta, where the will and an attached document titled "General Provisions" were opened. Less than a month later, the "Inventory Deed of the Assets left by the Queen's death" was drawn up, with the Judge being the Magistrate Bartolomeu de Sousa Mexia and the scribe João de Campos de Andrade.

Building upon this extensive documentation, which includes the description of the Bemposta Palace, we will endeavor to respond to the question posed in the title, with some background points. Firstly, the collecting tradition of the House of Braganza; secondly, the separation between the assets of the House of Braganza and those of the Royal Crown (1646); thirdly, the devastating 1755 earthquake for the History of Portugal.

 

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Published

2025-12-12

Issue

Vol. 35 (2025)

Section

Articles

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