An Urban-Archeology project in cabinets and drawers:cataloging of a research topic in the papers of D. Luis de Souza in Fundação Casa de Mateus

• Grant number: 25/04218-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: June 01, 2025
• End date: August 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - History - History of Brazil
• Principal Investigator: Denise Aparecida Soares de Moura
• Grantee: Maria Gabriela Jacinto Soares
• Supervisor: Andrea Mariani
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Humanas e Sociais (FCHS). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Franca. Franca , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Fundação Casa De Mateus, Portugal
• Associated to the scholarship: 24/13102-0 - Archeology of old colonial cities and territorialization of the State: D. Luis de Sousa and the project to refound Vila Rica (1768-1773), BP.IC

Abstract

This project is part of the ongoing scientific initiation research on the refoundation of old Spanish-indigenous colonial cities as part of the territorialization project undertaken by the Portuguese monarchical state in the captaincy of São Paulo during the government of the 4th Morgado de Mateus, D. Luis de Souza Botelho Mourão, between 1765 and 1775. For the past 3 months, with support from FAPESP, I have been gathering information on the refoundation of Villa Rica do Espiritu Sancto in particular, which suffered several destructions and displacements across the territory of the old captaincy of São Paulo in the 18th century. My findings have led me to infer that the refoundation of Villa Rica do Espiritu Sancto may be related to the role of D. Luis de Souza as a "political architect" for the Portuguese side, as well as an archaeologist for the Spanish indigenous memory. Such Portuguese political sovereignty and indigenous populations were coincidental and necessary processes at the time. To continue this collection of information and handle additional documentation available in Brazil and previously unpublished, this project aims to conduct research, but also to organize and describe documents from the captaincy of São Paulo and the government of Morgado existing at the Fundação da Casa de Mateus, in Vila Real, Portugal.