Antonio Albergati, coletor em Portugal (1622-1624): uma presença contra a escravidão. Documentos inéditos em bibliotecas romanas

Abstract

In the 17th century, in the Iberian Peninsula, relations between Church and State were very tense, each of the parties calling upon themselves the political and legal powers that would guarantee them the preservation of authority; to this was added the question linked to the recognition of Portuguese independence by the government of Rome. Antonio Albergati (1566-1634), appointed collector in Lisbon in 1620, acted in this context. In this article are presented three unpublished documents that show the influence that Albergati had and the dedication with which he worked to collect and disseminate news about the Portuguese colonies in Africa, highlighting its commitment to the spread of the Catholic faith and against slavery. No seculo XVII, na Peninsula Iberica, as relacoes entre Igreja e Estado estiveram muito tensas, cada uma das partes a avocar para si as poderes politicos e juridicos que lhes garantiriam a preservacao da autoridade; a isto acrescentava-se a questao ligada ao reconhecimento da independencia portuguesa por parte do governo de Roma. Neste quadro atuou Antonio Albergati (1566-1634), nomeado coletor em Lisboa em 1620. Neste artigo apresentam-se tres documentos ineditos que mostram a influencia que Albergati teve e o afinco com o qual trabalhou para recolher e divulgar noticias sobre as colonias portuguesas em Africa, destacando-se o seu empenho para a difusao da fe catolica e contra a escravidao.