Defendants of Brazil

New Christians and Crimes Beyond Judaism - Portuguese Inquisition in the Sixteenth Century

Abstract

We still don’t know all the prisoners that the Inquisition arrested in Brazil and the outcomes of their trials, despite the amount that has been written about the Holy Office in recent years. There are famous heretics, but there are many characters who have gone through tragic experiences in the Tribunal and who have not yet received the same attention. In addition to the crimes related to Judaism, the Inquisition’s regiments pointed to crimes such as blasphemy, deviations in sexual behavior, or that which they considered to be, as well as bigamy and solicitation. Within the universe of Inquisitorial documentation, we can dwell on the history and fate of hundreds of people, and for this work, I chose a filter beyond the Jewish question and present the reconstructed history of six people: the "poet" Bartolomeu Fragoso, the goldsmith Ruy Gomes, two Portuguese merchants residing here, André Pedro and Antonio Carlos, and the brothers Afonso and Rodrigo Fidalgo.