El acervo archivístico de la Orden de San Juan de Jerusalén en Portugal

Reflecting on the possibility of reconstructing archives and creating institutional memories is always a chal-lenging exercise, greatly beneficial to historians by providing deeper insights into the past. The archival collec-tion of the Order of St John of Jerusalem was gradually assembled, meeting the administrative, jurisdictional, and governance needs of this complex institution. From the 14th century onward, central government bodies issued guidelines to regulate document production, revealing significant organizational aspirations. The Hospi-tallers’ archival collection in Portugal was dispersed, mirroring the Order’s property structure, and was signifi-cantly affected by both intentional and unintentional destruction. These circumstances led to the loss of much documentation and necessitated ongoing reorganization, as the collection gradually lost its administrative role and acquired a more historical dimension.