Princess Isabel, responsible for the end of slavery in Brazil, sends her Christmas wishes to a cardinal.
Handwritten letter from Princess Isabel to Italian Cardinal Teodolfo Mertel.
Four pages, two of which are blank, with the original envelope and its wax seal.
In old Portuguese.
23.7 cm x 29.4 cm.
Rio de Janeiro, June 1, 1876.
Good condition of conservation.
Unique piece.
Most Illustrious and Most Respectable in Christ Father Cardinal Mertel My dear brother.
(...) I received with satisfaction the letters in which you express your feelings to His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress on the occasion of the Most Holy Christmas last year. I am very moved by the expressions of your wishes for the happiness of my August Parents as well as for the prosperity of the Empire (...)
Written at the Palace of Rio de Janeiro on June 1, 1876.
Isabel Princeza Imperiale Regente.
In 1876, Princess Isabel assumed the role of regent of Brazil for the second time, during a long trip by her father to the United States. The situation was turbulent: an electoral reform aimed at preventing fraud and violence in voting had failed, a drought devastated the Northeast and there was the so-called "Religious Question", which put the princess in the crossfire between the Church and the government. The press did not spare the princess and her ability to replace her father was put to the test. Isabel returned to private life, spending more time in Petrópolis, where she and her husband, Count D'Eu, acquired a house: Princess Isabel's first two children were born there and Dom Pedro II was there when he learned of the military movement that established the Republic.
Teodolfo Mertel (1806-1899) was an important Italian cardinal, the last to assume this position without having been a priest.
Princess Isabel is one of the most admired historical figures by Brazilians; her handwritten letters, in excellent condition like this piece, are highly sought after by collectors. An additional interesting detail here is that the year 1876 was important for Princess Isabel.
