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Political letters of the Dynasty of Avis: the ars dictaminis of the common good (15th century)

ABSTRACT

This article intends to analyze certain letters written in the fifteenth century by key members of the Portuguese Dynasty of Avis. Even though epistolography, as a field of studies, has been always connected to its nineteenth century heritage, recently there has been an attempt to incorporate new perspectives, such as the culturalist point of view. Political culture is thus an important concept to go beyond rhetoric, as epistolography has traditionally been seen, and to allow historians to comprehend complex discourse. In this sense, the discourse maintains the necessary formulas without ignoring political circumstances and also while highlighting political values, such as the common good.

Keywords:
Dynasty of Avis (Portugal); common good; epistolography

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