Maria Filomena Andrade

Maria Filomena Andrade is a Professor at the Open University and serves as Deputy Director of the Centre of Religious History Studies (CEHR) at the Universidade Católica Portuguesa since 2014. She is also a member of the Institute for Medieval Studies (IEM - FCSH-UN). Her academic career spans several decades with significant contributions to the field of religious history, particularly focusing on medieval Portuguese religious communities.

Her educational background includes a degree in History from the Faculty of Arts of the University of Lisbon (1978), a master's degree (1994), and a PhD in Medieval History (2011) from the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences of the New University of Lisbon. Her doctoral thesis focused on In Oboedientia, Sine Proprio, Et In Castitate, Sub Clausura. A Ordem de Santa Clara em Portugal (séculos XIII e XIV) (The Order of Saint Clare in Portugal during the 13th and 14th centuries).

Professor Andrade's research primarily centers on religious history, with special emphasis on female monasticism, religious archivists, and women's studies within medieval Portuguese society. She has authored numerous studies on Franciscanism and has worked extensively on inventories of monastic documentation. Her work often explores the intersection of religious communities, gender dynamics, and social structures in medieval Portugal.

Her recent scholarly output demonstrates a continued focus on female religious institutes, Dominican foundations, and mendicant orders during the medieval period. The analysis of her publications reveals a consistent thematic thread examining women's roles and contributions within religious communities, particularly during the 13th and 14th centuries in Portugal. Her work bridges religious history with gender studies, providing nuanced perspectives on female spirituality and institutional religious life.

Professor Andrade has been actively involved in multiple research projects, including UCP-CEHR: Centre of Religious History Studies (Pluriannual Project), A life of research. Project for the publication and dissemination of António Domingues de Sousa Costa Archive, F-ATLAS: Franciscan Landscapes: the Observance between Italy, Portugal and Spain, and CONVEMOS: Convents and monasteries in Portugal (1096-1910): spatialities and temporalities. These projects highlight her leadership in collaborative research initiatives focused on religious history and heritage.

As Deputy Director of the Centre of Religious History Studies, Professor Andrade plays a key role in guiding research activities and fostering scholarly collaboration. The CEHR serves as a hub for interdisciplinary research on religious phenomena throughout history, with particular attention to Portuguese religious traditions and their global connections.