'O Livro de Duarte Barbosa': a study of the sixteenth century account of the Portuguese traveller

• Grant number: 18/18451-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• Start date: March 01, 2019
• End date: August 31, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - History - Ancient and Medieval History
• Principal Investigator: Maria Cristina Correia Leandro Pereira
• Grantee: Rafael Afonso Gonçalves
• Supervisor: Michele Gueret-Laferte
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas (FFLCH). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Université de Rouen, France
• Associated to the scholarship: 17/12152-0 - Animals from the far lands: a catalog of the species described by travelers between the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries, BP.PD

Abstract

It is aimed, in this proposal, to undertake a critical analysis of the 'Livro de Duarte Barbosa', probably written in 1516 by the clerk of the Portuguese trading post of Cannanor, in eastern India. By unrolling one of the aspects of the post-doctoral project under development in Brazil - whose purpose is to catalogue the animals described in the travel reports to Africa and Asia between the middle of the thirteenth century and the beginning of the sixteenth century -, this internship seeks to deepen techniques of handling and interpreting this sort of document. Likewise, the internship intends to focus on the research and analysis of the context of production and the descriptions contained in this report, considered one of the most important records of the vision of the East built by the Portuguese in the sexteenth century. As a result of this research - which consists, roughly, in mapping references,making bibliographical survey, comparing versions, researching the trajectory of the author and the work, establishing connections with other reports -, a study of the 'Livro' will be presented. In addition, an unpublished translation into French of this text in its entirety and two letters written by Duarte Barbosa to the Portuguese monarch, Dom Manuel I will be presented. All activities proposed will be produced in partnership with one of the most respected scholars on medieval travel reports and professor of the University of Rouen, Ms. Michèle Guéret-Laferté, who will also be the internship's supervisor.