DIGIGOV – Diário do Governo Digital (1820-1910) is the main result of a research project with the same name developed by CEPESE and financed by FCT (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology) 2014), through national funds and co-financed by the ERDF, under the PT2020 Partnership Agreement.

The official gazette of the Portuguese state dates back to 1715, when the Gazeta de Lisboa began to be published, which in the meantime will take on multiple titles, as the result of successive historical events, until it became the current Diário da República. Since its creation, its publication was only interrupted from 1762 to 1778, by order of Sebastião José de Carvalho and Melo, thus holding a remarkable longevity, unparalleled among Portuguese newspapers.

As the third newspaper created in Portugal – the first one in the 18^th century –, the official gazette is a basic source for the knowledge of the Portuguese Contemporary History, especially during the Constitutional Monarchy (1820-1910), for the diversity and richness of contents it then presented, far from being limited, as it is today, to the publication of official acts of the executive, legislative and judicial administration of the State.

To overcome these issues, over a period of three and a half years, a team of over thirty elements, composed of historians, archivists, computer engineers, designers and other specialists, scanned in high resolution all editions of the official newspaper of the Portuguese state published from 1820 to 1910 – approximately 300,000 images –, treated the images and converted them into searchable text, indexed all files and designed and built the DIGIGOV platform. The same team also carried out several studies on the official newspaper, its origins, historical evolution and main elements (physical characteristics, internal structure, contents, writing, printing, circulation, audience, etc.); analysed some of the main foreign official newspapers, with a view to the preparation of comparative studies; and developed several historiographical works based on this source, showing its full potential as the basis for future research projects.

We hope that DIGIGOV, in addition to promoting the conservation of this precious source, also contributes to its dissemination and consultation by the general public and by national and foreign researchers, within the most diverse areas of knowledge, in order to give rise to new studies about such a rich period in the history of Portugal, with much yet to be explored.

We would like to thank the entities that made this project possible. To the Foundation for Science and Technology, for the financing granted, which made it possible to acquire the human and material resources essential to a project of this size and nature. To the Faculty of Arts of the University of Porto, Rectory of the University of Porto, Municipal Public Library of Porto and Public Library and Regional Archive Luís da Silva Ribeiro, for providing us the issues of the official newspaper that were missing from CEPESE’s collection. Finally, we would like to thank all the team members that integrated this project and worked hard to build this repository of a fundamental part of the history and memory of Portugal. 

CEPESE – Research Centre for the study of Population, Economy and Society is a Public Utility Institution devoted to scientific research, with an interuniversity vocation, founded by the University of Porto and by the António de Almeida Foundation.

Within its object and purpose, CEPESE, since 1996, has established a Research Unit in the area of History and other Social and Human Sciences, with the same name, whose activity is governed by the regulations established by the FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology.

CEPESE develops research activities in the field of History and other disciplines of Social and Human Sciences that contribute to the study, analysis and understanding of society in a broad sense, including its historical evolution, present characterization and future challenges. To this end, it supports studies and research projects, part of which in collaboration with other similar institutions, promoting seminars and other scientific meetings and the publication of books, of a scientific journal (População e Sociedade) and several thematic collections, and the publication of papers in national and foreign scientific journals, as well as through its digital platforms.

At present, CEPESE has about 300 individual members, as well as two dozen collective members and honorary patrons, comprising higher education institutions, municipalities, foundations and private companies that value the scientific research and activity that we develop. As a research unit, it brings together over 100 PhD researchers.

CEPESE has its own facilities, in an autonomous building of the University of Porto, which includes several offices, meeting rooms and specialized library, and is equipped with the necessary technological equipment to support its activities, including its own servers, all this supported by a full-time multidisciplinary staff.

For more information, visit www.cepese.pt.