Molher que foy... Las donaciones femininas a las iglesias de la Orden Militar de Santiago, en Portugal, en los siglos XV y XVI

Abstract

The Military Order of Santiago promoted the feminine element from its foundation. Unlike other military orders, their knights could marry and start a family, creating dynasties within the Order. Its members, very close to the Crown, held the highest positions within the militia and their domains for several generations and therefore, those families, to immortalize their name and associate it with the communities they served, donated goods and objects that reflected his greatness and the greatness of their families. In a journey through the texts of pastoral visits conducted in Order of Santiago's territory from the end of the 15th century to the first half of the 16th century, we will try to demonstrate the importance of women in these donations by analyzing the nature of the donated objects and the reasons of their choice.