Brazil and the Court of the Portuguese Holy Office: defendants, letters and agents in circulation in the Atlantic world

Abstract:

This article intends to develop a few reflections regarding the Portuguese Inquisition Tribunal (1536-1821), and the range of its mainly extended circulation of correspondences and agents all over the Atlantic Portuguese Empire. Once there was never created a local tribunal in Portuguese America, the functioning dynamics of the Holy Office itself, transferred to the Lisbon Tribunal all those considered guilty in the colonies, in order to wait for the conclusions of their criminal proceedings. Such practice allowed the regular presence in the Reign of the people accused of heresy, and the circulation with their many ideas and practices as well. I will emphasize in this text a few of these examples related to the New Christians and the sorcerers. Moreover, the fact that expatriation and banishment were among the punishments imposed to the defendants, these also contributed to promote and disseminate the heretical behaviors the Holy Office wanted to extirpate.

Keywords:
Inquisition; Correspondence; Heresy; Inquisitorial agents