As confrarias de mesteres no contexto assistencial de Coimbra (séculos XII a XV)

Abstract

This paper aims to identify and describe Coimbra’s craft confraternities and the related welfare institutions, inserting them in its social assistance network, between the 12th and 15th centuries. Starting from this background, we will focus on the associations that assembled the city’s craftsmen. We will define them, describe their socio-religious functions and their structure, and analyse their implantation in the urban environment.