Description
Book SynopsisDuring the early modern period, the brotherhoods of Misericórdia were established not only in the overseas territories ruled by the Portuguese, but also beyond their empire, reaching as far as the Philippines and Japan. The twelve chapters of this book examine this expansion by discussing different dimensions of the Misericórdias, such as administration, politics, charitable practices, finances, and forms of discrimination related to social status, gender, and race. Filling a critical gap in anglophone scholarship on the Portuguese Misericórdias, this work's previous absence has been criticized by scholars who believe the Misericórdias are crucial to understanding the past and present of Portuguese communities, both at home and abroad. Contributors are: Inês Amorim, José Pedro Paiva, Lisbeth Rodrigues, Sara Pinto, Juan O. Mesquida, Rômulo Ehalt, Joana Balsa de Pinho, Andreia Durães, Maria Antónia Lopes, Luciana Gandelman, Isabel dos Guimarães Sá, and Renato Franco.
Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Notes on Contributors List of Maps, Figures and Tables Introduction Isabel dos Guimarães Sá and Lisbeth Rodrigues PART 1:The Misericórdias: Organization, Finances, and Relationship with Other Institutions 1 Local Dynamics: Membership, Governance, and Relations with the Crown Inês Amorim 2 Bishops and Holy Houses of Mercy in the Portuguese Empire in the Early Modern Age: Welfare, Cooperation, and Conflicts José Pedro Paiva 3 Financing Early Modern Misericórdias in Portugal and Its Overseas Territories (1500–1800) Lisbeth Rodrigues 4 Transferring Inheritances across the Oceans: The Financial Role of the Misericórdias Sara Pinto 5 Contested Philanthropy in Spanish Manila: The Santa Casa de la Misericordia (1594–1869) Juan O. Mesquida 6 In Their Likeness: Japanese Misericórdias and the Limits of the Misericórdia in Japan (1553–1633) Rômulo Ehalt 7 The Visual Culture of the Misericórdias: Art and Identity Joana Balsa de Pinho PART 2:Charity 8 Caring for the Sick: Hospitals under the Administration of the Misericórdias Andreia Durães 9 Marrying with the Help of the Misericórdias Maria Antónia Lopes 10 The Misericórdias and the Preservation of Female Honor Luciana Gandelman 11 The Misericórdias and the Economy of Salvation: Inheritances, Masses, and Funerals Isabel dos Guimarães Sá 12 The Santas Casas de Misericórdia and Care for Foundlings in the Portuguese Empire (16th–18th Centuries) Renato Franco Epilogue Glossary Index
