Documentary heritage and innovation: the writing of secretaries of the Venerable Third Order of Saint Francis of Penance of the City of São Paulo

• Grant number: 25/04973-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: June 01, 2025
• End date: May 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Linguistics, Literature and Arts - Literature - Portuguese Language
• Principal Investigator: Phablo Roberto Marchis Fachin
• Grantee: Elisa Silveira Martins
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas (FFLCH). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 24/15949-0 - Documentary heritage and innovation: the writing of secretaries of the venerable third order of Saint Francis of Penance of the city of São Paulo, AP.R

Abstract

This project is based on the vast documentary collection of the Venerable Third Order of Saint Francis of Penance of the City of São Paulo, composed of approximately 18,000 documents spanning nearly four centuries of existence. The writing, largely the responsibility of secretaries, presents reading challenges due to the complexity of the writing from that period, characterized by different calligraphic styles, the use of abbreviations, and linguistic peculiarities of the time. Through the signing of a recent cooperation agreement between the Third Order and the FFLCH-USP, with the intent to analyze and publicize its documentary collection through an interdisciplinary approach, this project aims to create an efficient methodology to transcribe, organize, and make these manuscripts accessible. The methodology is based on an approach that integrates paleography and modern technological tools for handwriting analysis and writing pattern recognition. The guide will include interactive examples, transcriptions, and tutorials, and will be accessible to researchers and students whose study involves handwritten documentation. The project will also promote the dissemination of the results through the USP data repository and events such as exhibitions and workshops. As a result, the project is expected to produce a comprehensive and accessible digital guide that will facilitate the reading of ancient manuscripts, will empower researchers and students in the field of paleography, and will integrate innovative technological practices with the study of historical documents. The initiative will contribute to the preservation of documentary heritage, promoting democratic access to the Third Order's collection and encouraging new research and academic collaborations.