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Maarten Janssen, 2014-

PS1039

[1594-1595]. Carta de Isabel Gomes de Leão para a filha, Rafaela de Santo António, freira.

Author(s) Isabel Gomes de Leão      
Addressee(s) Rafaela de Santo António      
In English

Family letter from Isabel Gomes de Leão to her daughter, Rafaela de Santo António, nun.

The author reveals, on her deathbed, the paternal ancestry of the addressee, her daughter.

Rafaela de Santo António was arrested on July 7, 1620, remaining in prison until April 3 of the following year. In the Holy Office of Coimbra a lawsuit was filed against Rafaela, accused of Judaism, based on several denunciations, namely of Filipa de São Francisco, a nun in the same convent and who would be also arrested. In fact, it was proved that some nuns practiced Judaism, which absolutely transgressed the principles not only of the order they professed, but of the Catholic Church itself. Rafaela alleged in court that she was not the biological daughter of a new Christian, who had died, but of Diogo de Sá de Meneses, "a known gentleman and one of the truly nobles." In fact, the mother would have managed to conceal her pregnancy from her future husband, with whom she already lived. For this reason, the mother interned her at the age of four, at the Monastery of Madre de Deus de Monchique de Miragaia (Porto), where the sisters followed the rule of Santa Clara (Order of Friars Minor, Portugal). In her process, we find several letters of honor, collected by the abbess, Clara Antónia de Vilhena, and other nuns, in an attempt to free the defendant from the guilts that were formed against her, and to watch over her well-being while she remained in jail. Particular mention should be made of the testimony written by the defendant's mother, in which she clarifies her affiliation. This case is not free of adversities: the abbess, even though she wrote a letter of honor and made several inquiries in favor of the defendant, when she reached the defense phase she testified to the contrary. In the end, the inquisitors would come to the conclusion that the guilts had been caused by false testimony, due to certain quarrels of Rafaela with some companions who lived in the same house and who she had denounced. She thus was promptly absolved and released, turning to that institution .

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A Rafaela de Sãoto ãtonio minha filha

ja q neste estado me pidis q vos diga a verdade de cuja filha sois não poso mais q afirmar vos q sois neta e bisneta de tres cõdes e vizo rei da hymdia fazei por pareser esta p toca a minha óra q sois obrigada a guardala ate morte q asi volo peso por esta uiltima bēsa q vos lãnso

vosa mai izabel gomes de lião

esta vos dara o pa frei joão de melo meu cõfesor por ele me avisai se o resetbestes


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