Os colégios jesuítas de Coimbra no final do Séc. XVII pelo olhar de quatro alunos estrangeiros
The scholarly context of the Colégio de Jesus / das Artes in Coimbra in the 2nd half of the 17th cent., through the eyes of four ‘extranei’ (I. Hartoghvelt; F. Verbiest; A.Aigenler; A. Thomas)
Noel Golvers, Universidade de Lovaina
In spite of many studies in past and present, several aspects of the scholarly climate of Coimbra’s Colégio de Jesus / das Artes remain obscure. It is less well known that also ‘foreign’ visitors left revealing observations. Four of them were Jesuit candidates for the mission within the framework of the ‘padroado’ (esp. Japan-China), the so-called ‘Indipetae’, who lived, between 1655 and 1678, during one semester to two years in the Colégio. In these 24 years they report unknown details on the ‘daily life’ in the college, in its material, social and intellectual aspect (I. Hartogvelt [1655]); on the curricular and extra-curricular (mathematical) courses they taught (Ferdinand Verbiest [1656]; Adam Aigenler [1672/73]; Antoine Thomas [1678-80]); on the organization and contents of these courses, the latter reflected in Thomas’s ‘Synopsis mathematica’ (1685); on the problematic book supply in the College Library (Verbiest; Thomas) versus some well provided private libraries; on the stereotypic theological and philosophical instruction, the former still dominated by the Soares-heritage, the latter invariably ‘peripatetical’ (the weight of the Conimbricenses!) and reluctant to ‘novelties’ (Cartesianism); on the still strong presence and influence of Spanish models in preaching and theology (cf. Hartoghvelt); on the inefficiency of the local academic printers (complaint of Thomas; Aignenler). Taken together these four mutually independent but chronologically almost continuous eyewitness reports are, by their direct character a welcome complement to the ‘official’ sources, showing for this period a relative ‘stagnation’ in the scholarly climate of the Colégio, which needs to be confronted with other information, of course.
Noel Golvers, Universidade de Lovaina
In spite of many studies in past and present, several aspects of the scholarly climate of Coimbra’s Colégio de Jesus / das Artes remain obscure. It is less well known that also ‘foreign’ visitors left revealing observations. Four of them were Jesuit candidates for the mission within the framework of the ‘padroado’ (esp. Japan-China), the so-called ‘Indipetae’, who lived, between 1655 and 1678, during one semester to two years in the Colégio. In these 24 years they report unknown details on the ‘daily life’ in the college, in its material, social and intellectual aspect (I. Hartogvelt [1655]); on the curricular and extra-curricular (mathematical) courses they taught (Ferdinand Verbiest [1656]; Adam Aigenler [1672/73]; Antoine Thomas [1678-80]); on the organization and contents of these courses, the latter reflected in Thomas’s ‘Synopsis mathematica’ (1685); on the problematic book supply in the College Library (Verbiest; Thomas) versus some well provided private libraries; on the stereotypic theological and philosophical instruction, the former still dominated by the Soares-heritage, the latter invariably ‘peripatetical’ (the weight of the Conimbricenses!) and reluctant to ‘novelties’ (Cartesianism); on the still strong presence and influence of Spanish models in preaching and theology (cf. Hartoghvelt); on the inefficiency of the local academic printers (complaint of Thomas; Aignenler). Taken together these four mutually independent but chronologically almost continuous eyewitness reports are, by their direct character a welcome complement to the ‘official’ sources, showing for this period a relative ‘stagnation’ in the scholarly climate of the Colégio, which needs to be confronted with other information, of course.
