Torre do Tombo
| National Archive of Torre do Tombo (Arquivo Nacional da Torre do Tombo) | |
| National Archive of the Tower of the Tome | |
| National Archive (Arquivo Nacional) | |
 The front facade of the large national archive building in center-north Lisbon
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| Official name: Torre do Tombo | |
| Name origin: Torre do Tombo, Portuguese for Tower of the Tome; the name goes back to when the National Archives were housed in a tower of the medieval Saint George's Castle. | |
| Country |  Portugal |
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| Region | Lisbon |
| Sub-region | Grande Lisboa |
| District | Lisbon |
| Municipality | Lisbon |
| Coordinates | 38°45′17″N 9°09′23″W / 38.7546°N 9.1565°WCoordinates: 38°45′17″N 9°09′23″W / 38.7546°N 9.1565°W |
| Architects | Ateliers Associados, Arsénio Raposo Cordeiro, A.N. de Almeida, M. Sheppard Cruz |
| Style | Modern |
| Materials | Limestone, Concrete |
| Origin | 1378 |
| Owner | Portuguese Republic |
| For public | Public |
| Visitation | Closed (Mondays and on 1 January, Easter Sunday, 1 May and 25 December) |
| Easiest access | Alameda da Universidade |
| Management | Instituto Gestão do Patrimonio Arquitectónico e Arqueológico |
 Location of the National Archive within the municipality of Lisbon
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Website: antt |
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The National Archive of Torre do Tombo (Portuguese: Arquivo Nacional da Torre do Tombo, [ɐɾˈkivu nɐsjuˈnaɫ dɐ ˈtoʁɨ ðu ˈtõbu]) is the Portuguese national archive established in 1378, located in center-north Lisbon, and renamed the Instituto dos Arquivos Nacionais (Institute of the National Archives) in 2009.
The archive is one of the oldest institutions in Portugal, since its installation in one of the towers of the castle in Lisbon, occurring during the reign of Ferdinand I, and likely in 1378 (the date where the first testimonal originated). The archive served as the King's and nobilities' reference, with documents supporting the administration of the kingdom and overseas territories, and documenting the relationships between the State and foreign kingdoms.
Following the events of the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, the High-Guardian of the archives, Manuel da Maia, was responsible for saving the contents of the Torre do Tombo. At 75 years old, Maia personally led the safe-guarding team to São Jorge Castle, where the archives were located, and saved nearly 90,000 pieces, accumulated between 1161 and 1696. He ordered the construction of provisionary barracks to store the contents of the archives and immediately made a request to Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, King Joseph I’s prime-minister, for a new permanent home for the archives, which would eventually be granted to him in the form of the Convent of São Bento (which now houses the parliament of Portugal).
In 1982 a public tender was issued for the construction of the new Torre do Tombo archive building, and was won by the Ateliers Associados, represented by Arsénio Raposo Cordeiro, with M. Sheppard Cruz and A.N. de Almeida. The cornerstone was laid in 1985, in an official ceremony. The sculptor José Aurélio was invited to sculpt the gargoyles in 1987, which completed between 1988-1990 (in conjunction with mason José Rodrigues and builder Júlio Mesão.
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