A Portuguese Fragment of the Tancredus’ Ordo iudiciarius

Abstract

This study seeks to shed light on a fragment of the Ordo iudiciarius (1214-1216) by Tancredus Bononiensis, written in medieval Portuguese. It complements the study of another fragment which has already been published. These two fragments were part of two different codices which have been dismantled in the meantime. These vestiges written in the vernacular corroborate the hegemony of this text by the grandmaster from Bologna. His work had a vast impact throughout Western Europe, reflected in various manuscripts in Latin and translations in French, German and Portuguese. Hence, this study simultaneously aims to further our knowledge about the Ius commune movement in a Romance language, which developed alongside the movement in Latin. In Portugal, this juridical current reached its zenith during the early years of the Avis dynasty’s reign, under King João I. These fragments of the Ordo, the only evidence known to exist in Portuguese, constitute yet another invaluable element for studying how the Ius commune was received in Portugal during the Late Middle Ages.