"Waking up from Medieval Slumber"

When the book Medieval Goa first appeared three decades ago (Delhi: Concept, 1979), it represented a significant break in the tradition of Indo-Portuguese historiography, until then markedly Luso-Indian, even when Goan native historians were the authors. This was acknowledged by prominent historians like C R Boxer, M N Pearson, A Disney, J Wicki and others who reviewed the book in international journals of history. The colonial culture and the political climate were not helpful for the promotion of a critical approach.

Christianity in history: Postcolonial perspective

Historians have successfully pointed to new ways of re-writing Christianity’s history.

In the Shadow of Power

Pedro Feytor Pinto headed the Department of Information Services (SEIT) in the government of Marcello Caetano who replaced Antonio Oliveira Salazar in 1968 as the head of the Portuguese government. Feytor Pinto has just released a book entitled Na Sombra do Poder (In the Shadow of Power)[Lisboa, D. Quixote, 2011, pp. 402]. Not wishing to classify it as history or memoirs, yet hoping that historians may find it useful, the author chooses to narrate events as he experienced them from his vantage point in the shadow of Power, during the years ending with the Carnation Revolt of 25 April 1974, which put an end to half a century of dictatorship, known as Estado Novo.

A new concept for museum training in Germany

To talk about a new concept for museum training seems perhaps, to be a little bit exaggerated. For long time you have all been talking about concepts and contents for museum training and as I figured out the debate on the topic in Germany is as old as the appearance of national museums in the 19th century. Men like Theodor Mommsen, Rudolph Virchow, Alfred Lichtwark, all well known historians and supporters of the museum idea, spoke and wrote not only about the importance of museums as cultural and educational institutions but also supported the idea of professionalisation of museums work. Some of the ideas of our ancestors are still part of an ongoing discussion. The topic of my talk today will be what king of personnel a museum of our time needs to cope with the growing demand for internal and external organization. I shall present to you a new training program for museum workers in Germany which aims not to produce a new group of researchers but to prepare students for the practical work in the museum field.

O Marquês de Pombal e o perdão aos judeus : Inquisição, legislação e solução final da questão do perdão aos judeus com o novo enquadramento jurídico pombalino

O presente trabalho tem como principal objectivo tratar da questão do perdão aos judeus no contexto pombalino. Desde a formação da nacionalidade portuguesa há sinais da presença dos judeus. No entanto, a trajetória desta minoria em Portugal nem sempre foi pacífica. Na época de D. Manuel I os judeus conversos ao cristianismo foram chamados de cristãos-novos, numa clara demonstração de desigualdade com os demais cristãos. Com a implantação da Inquisição em Portugal, os cristãos-novos de origem judaíca passaram a ser alvo prioritário das perseguições, inquirições, acusações e condenações. A trajetória dos critãos-novos em Portugal foi marcada por marchas e contramarchas dos monarcas portugueses e dos pontífices na concessão ou não dos perdões. No contexto de perseguição e ódio da Inquisição em Portugal aparece a figura do padre António Vieira que se posicionou em defesa dos judeus e dos cristãos-novos, além de propor a reestruração da Inquisição portuguesa. Como ponto de chegada nuclear do presente trabalho tratamos do período pombalino, com destaque para os vários diplomas promulgados por D. José. Estes diplomas que beneficiaram os cristãos-novos traziam um novo enquadramento jurídico decorrente da promulgação da Lei da Boa Razão, parte integrante da formação do direito português moderno.

Training for museums and the National Charter for museum professions in Italy: a new prospective for development

Traditionally Italian universities have trained researchers and professionals in conservation: archaeologists, art historians and architects. It is only with the reform of the universities, from 1999, that the teaching of museology and museography have also been expanded.Italian museums are for the most part public museums, depending on local bodies or the national ministry; they lack autonomy and do not possess specific professional figures. The task of conservation has predominated over the other roles of museums, but with the reform of the conservation law in 2004 the definition of „museum‟ has been introduced in Italy as well, and regulations regarding the development of heritage have been issued; in addition the Regions have also taken on a more active role for museums belonging to local bodies and for the development of their territory.Museum professions are not officially recognised, but the museum community, through the various associations and ICOM Italia, has put together a document to act as a general reference, the National Charter of Museum Professions, which has been followed by the Manual of Museum Professions in Europe. Now there is a need to plan the content and outlines ofvocational training courses for museum professionals, together withthe universities, the regions and the museums themselves, alongwith the associations and ICOM – ICTOP, utilising the mostinnovative Master‟s courses which offer an interdisciplinaryapproach, a methodology which combines theory and practice, andan element of hands-on experimentation in museums, or withmuseums.