Almeida Garrett

Available in digital form

The Almeida Garrett Archive consists of around 649 simple or compound documents, including: autograph manuscripts, original first drafts and clean drafts of literary works (poetry, theater, oratory, fiction, etc.) and other materials such as book catalogs, lists of works, notes; corrected typographic proofs; private and institutional correspondence (incoming and outgoing letters); political documents and other documentation; press clippings; documents proving identity, titles and transfer of assets; documentation proving or relating to the various public positions held, diplomatic missions and distinctions received. The Archive includes 26 printed volumes of Garrett's Work, in their 1st or 2nd edition, a collection of copies used by the author, with handwritten notes and emendations. The Archive also includes manuscripts produced or collected by Frei Alexandre da Sagrada Família (1737-1818), the writer's uncle, and other eighteenth-century authors.

Since Almeida Garrett's death, the Archive has been, successively, in the custody of different curators, by testamentary disposition of the author and for legal reasons. In 1864, it was handed over to Maria Adelaide de Almeida Garrett, the author's daughter. In 1928, the Archive was purchased by Magalhães Colaço (1893-1931), Professor of Law at the University of Coimbra and, later, at the University of Lisbon. In 1947, it was acquired by the Library of the University of Coimbra from Maria Heloísa de Magalhães Colaço. Between 1990 and 1999, two originals of Garrett's literary works and other autograph documentation were acquired, which complemented the collection: "Poesias de J.B.S.L.A. Garrett", Coimbra, 1821 (Ms. 3393); "Authograph of Visconde d'Almeida Garrett - The engagement in Dafundo or Each land with its use, each spinning wheel with its spindle" (Ms. 3391); “Almeida Garrett’s autograph documents” (Ms. 3373). A Garretian collection of newspaper clippings (50 articles) was incorporated on May 18, 1999. In June 2015, by deposit from the Torre do Tombo National Archives, a compilation of autograph manuscript novels by Almeida Garrett (Ms. AG 35-36) was added to the collection.

In June 2015, the General Library of the University of Coimbra hosted the signing ceremony of the Auto de Depósito of a collection of autograph documents by Almeida Garrett. The collection, with more than 400 documents, contained around 90 unpublished manuscripts that further enriched the already vast Garrett collection at the University of Coimbra.