The State In Portugal

This book traces the evolution of political and social structures from Medieval Portugal to the dawn of the Modern Period, seeking to explain the roots of the political formation of the modern State, examining its main aspects: the irradiation of the royal court, the creation and consolidation of central institutions, dynastic struggles, the emergence of local power, territorial expansion and the development of political culture.

Based on the most up-to-date studies, a critical analysis is made of the correlation of forces established between royal power and political society, in order to prove that a good part of the phenomena related to the appearance of the State and the associated political idea has origin in the late Middle Ages.

Judite A. Gonçalves de Freitas is a full professor at the Fernando Pessoa University. Degree in History (1987), Master in Medieval History (1991), Doctorate (1999) and Aggregate (2007) in History by the Department of History and Political and International Studies at the Faculty of Arts of the University of Porto. He is a member of the Medieval and Renaissance Studies group at the Center for Population, Economics and Society Studies (CEPESE-FCT) at the University of Porto.

The main areas of focus of his research activity have been the History of the State, central institutions, political societies and royal power, having published two books in the scope of these themes: The Bureaucracy of the «Eloquent» (1433-1438): the texts, the norms, the people (1996) and «We are for good and we are in charge». The Royal Bureaucracy and its officers in the middle of four hundred (1439-1460), 2 vols (2001), and also D. Branca de Vilhena: heritage and social networks of a noble lady in the 15th century (2008).

He has published works on royal Chancellery and Diplomatics and published abroad the main balance sheets he made on Portuguese medieval historiography.