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U.Porto Memory

University of Porto Famous Alumni

Armindo de Sousa

Armindo de Sousa 1941-1998 Historian

Armindo de Sousa was born in the parish of Lustosa, Lousada, on 2 June 1941. He was the son of Bernardino Alves de Sousa and Ana de Sousa.

He completed his secondary education with distinction at the Singeverga College, in Roriz, Santo Tirso, in 1960.
Five years later, he completed the Theology course with good marks at the Seminário Maior, in the Diocese of Porto. He held functions as a priest for about seven years, but abandoned the priesthood so he could form a family, which he felt was his true vocation.

He attended the History course at the Faculty of Arts of the University of Porto. In 1974, he completed his undergraduate degree with the final mark of sixteen out of twenty, and in the following year he finished his degree with an average mark of seventeen.

At the Alexandre Herculano High School in Porto (1967-1971) and Grande Colégio Universal of Porto (1971-1975) he taught Moral, History, History and Geography, Psychology and Philosophy. At the Santa Mafalda Kindergarten Teaching School (1974-1979) he taught Introduction to Sociology, Sociology of Education and Developmental Psychology.

In 1975, he was admitted to the Faculty of Arts of the University of Porto as Assistant Professor, and from 1991 on he undertook the responsibility of the chair Cultural Anthropology at the Portucalense Infante D. Henrique University. At the Faculty of Arts of Porto, where he felt quite at home, he supervised Field Archaeology and Laboratory Techniques (1974-1975), was responsible for the chairs General Pre-History I (1975-1976), History of Culture I - Greece and Rome (1976-1978), History of Portuguese Culture - The Medieval Period (1977-1978) and History of Culture and of Mentalities (13^th and 14^th centuries) (1978-1988), which in 1988 changed its name to Culture and Mentalities in the Medieval Period, and taught until 1997. From 1979 to 1981, he was responsible for the practical classes of Palaeography and Diplomatics, whereas in the Masters in Medieval History he taught Textual Criticism and the seminar Medieval Representative Assemblies. He was nevertheless a true scholar and never failed to help those who needed him.

In the Faculty of Arts of Porto he was also involved in other activities. He was the Students Union leader of the Faculty of Arts (1970-1971), participated in the Choir of the Faculty of Arts (1970-1974), represented the History teachers in the Teaching Standards Committee (1976-1977), was Vice-President of the Academic Board (1990-1992), was part of the Assembly of Representatives of the Faculty, and was elected Chairman of the Board from 1976 to 1981, and 1982 to 1990.

Earlier in his university teaching career, he focused on Archaeology, which he would later change to Medieval History, and contributed much to this subject. He was particularly interested in the study of the Cortes [medieval parliament] in Portugal (which was the theme of his PhD thesis defended in 1989), and of various articles).

Among his works, the following are worthy of note: the chapter "Tempos Medievais" [Medieval Times] in História da Cidade do Porto [History of the City of Porto], directed by Luís de Oliveira Ramos, about one half of the second volume entitled "Monarquia Feudal - 1325-1480” [The Feudal Monarchy - 1325-1480] in História de Portugal [History of Portugal], edited by Círculo de Leitores, directed by José Mattoso, and the article entitled "Portugal" in The New Cambridge Medieval History (1998).

Other significant works in the Portuguese historiography, particularly because of the themes addressed, include O Mosteiro de Santo Tirso no Sèculo XV - (1981) [The Monastery of Santo Tirso in the 15^th century]; A Morte de D. João I (um tema de propaganda dinástica) (1984) [The Death of King John I (a dynastic propaganda theme); Conflitos entre o Bispo e a Câmara do Porto nos Meados do Século XVI (1983) [The Conflicts between the Bishop and the Porto City Council in mid-16^th century]; Estado e Comunidade: Representações e Resistências (1999) [The State and the Community: Representations and Resistances].

Armindo de Sousa was a man of superior culture, and had a way with words and writing, influencing all those who followed his academic progress.

As a teacher, he left his intellectual strictness, the freedom of thought and the pride in being a university teacher. As a man, his best legacy was his three children. He died in Porto on 25 October 1998.
(Universidade Digital / Gestão de Informação, 2008)