Thesouro de Nobreza

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Thesouro de Nobreza (Treasure of Nobility)

Overview
Thesouro de Nobreza is a 1675 Portuguese armorial manuscript created during the reign of Afonso VI of Portugal. It was commissioned by Francisco Coelho, the King of Arms, for use in Portuguese India. The work continues earlier armorial traditions and is broader in scope, listing arms of kings, queens, many noble families, and additional subjects. The codex comprises 79 folios on parchment and paper and is housed in Lisbon at the Torre do Tombo (Casa Real, Cartório da Nobreza, liv. 21).

What it covers
The manuscript compiles heraldic coats of arms and crests across several broad areas:
- The arms of the Kings and Queens of Portugal up to 1675.
- A large number of noble families.
- The Twelve Tribes of Israel, Military and Religious Orders, and the cities and towns of Portugal.
- It also includes numerous entries for titled houses and important lineages.
Although it presents a vast collection, the drawings are less artistically refined than earlier armorials, often showing only the shield, crest, and crown without helmet and mantling.

Context and history
Thesouro de Nobreza was finished after the Portuguese Restoration War (1640–1668). During this period, many noble titles granted by the Spanish king were extinguished, and new titles were created to reward Portuguese loyalists. The manuscript reflects this evolution in Portuguese nobility. The volume’s late dating and approach mean it has less historical detail than earlier armorials, but it compensates with a very large and diverse collection of arms.

Manuscript details
- Format: 79 folios in parchment and paper; dimensions about 480 x 350 mm.
- Location: Torre do Tombo (Lisbon), reference Casa Real, Cartório da Nobreza, liv. 21.
- Artwork: Armorial entries are more rudimentary in style (often showing shield and crest with heraldic crowns); some artistic elements present but generally simpler than earlier works.

Structure and contents
The book proceeds through multiple thematic sections, including:
- Arms of the Nine Worthies
- Arms and insignia of the Romans
- Arms of various kingdoms
- Arms of some lords and potentates
- Arms of the Seven Electors of the Empire
- Arms of the Military and Religious Orders of Portugal
- Arms of several Portuguese conquest cities
- Arms of the Cities of Portugal
- Arms of the Towns of Portugal that had seats in the Cortes
- Arms of the Kings of Portugal
- Arms of the Queens of Portugal
- Arms of the Dukes and Marquises of Portugal
- Arms of the Counts of Portugal
- Arms of the Families (the final chapter)

The final section (from folio 27) presents forty folios with arms of Portuguese noble families, totaling 472 family arms. The chapter order generally follows the precedence of earlier armorials, and it also notes titles that existed or disappeared around the Restoration era.

Digitized version and gallery
The National Archive of Torre do Tombo has digitized photographs of Thesouro de Nobreza in TIFF format on its site. The manuscript also features a Gallery with illustrations such as the Title Page, Frontispieces, Our Lady over the Arms of Portugal, and various arms of Portugal.

See also
See Livro do Armeiro-Mor, another important Portuguese armorial that preceded Thesouro de Nobreza.

References and related scholarship
Scholars have discussed Thesouro de Nobreza in relation to the development of Portuguese heraldry and nobility, including works by Ana Maria Homem Leal de Faria, Rita Costa Gomes, Anselmo Braamcamp Freire, and Nuno Gonçalo Monteiro, among others.