Monialibus est necessaria Musica – Music in female convents of Portugal (18th/19th centuries): repertoire, practices, performers

This research project proposes an in-depth study of the cultural and musical activities in women’s convents in Portugal and Portuguese America between the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Music played a central role in female religious institutions across Europe, and Portugal was no exception. The high quality of both the musical repertoire and the performers in Portuguese convents was widely recognized, including by foreign travelers who visited the country. This prestige is evidenced by the significant corpus of preserved scores, some of which were composed by renowned musicians of the kingdom.

The central aim of this project is to conduct a systematic study of the scores originating from former women’s convents in Portugal, currently held at the National Library of Portugal, and to analyze the role of women as patrons and performers of a repertoire of undeniable technical complexity and high artistic value.