Venetian Influence in 15th-Century Portugal

The Order of the Canons of St. John the Evangelist was founded in Lisbon around 1420 by Master Joham Vicente (1380-1463), physician for the Prince Regent D. Duarte. There was some initial hesitation concerning the forms of canonical organization; in 1427 the model followed at St. George of Alga in Venice was approved, but Augustinian rule was still considered a viable alternative until the confirmation in 1431 of Venetian-based constitutions. This paper attempts to trace vestiges of Venetian influence in three domains: paraliturgical cerimonies (e.g. processional planctus); liturgical selection and ordering of chants (as mirrored in late antiphoners written by the Portuguese Canons); and musical theory (a recently-discovered fragment of the Lucidarium by Marchetto da Padova, in a book connected to the Order).