In 1840, at the age of 14, Dom Pedro II informed his cousin Fernando II that the Assembly had declared him of age, which allowed him to govern the empire.
- Handwritten letter from Dom Pedro II to Ferdinand II, the Prince King of the Two Sicilies.
- In Portuguese.
- A large folded sheet, two pages written on.
- 9.8 cm x 18.9 cm (closed), 23 cm x 37.5 cm (open for reading).
- Rio de Janeiro, August 11, 1840.
- Yellowed paper, good condition of conservation.
- Unique piece.
Letter
Very high and very powerful Prince, My good brother
and Cousin. The General Legislative Assembly of Brazil, consulting
for the good of the state, I have resolved to declare myself of age, in order to
who governed the Empire; and having taken the prescribed oath
by the Constitution, I began to understand the regime and administration
of the same Empire. Making this report to Your Majesty,
I flatter myself that you will receive it with that lively interest which he
typical of the close bonds of friendship that unite us.
For my part, I have no ambition as much as to promote
increasingly harmonious relationships and good intelligence, which
fortunately subsist between both countries. Very high and
Most Powerful Prince, My Good Brother and Cousin, Our Lord
May Your Majesty's Person be in His Holy Guard. Written
at the Palace of Rio de Janeiro on August 11, 1840.
From Your Majesty
Good Brother and Cousin
Pedro
Aureliano
Envelope
The Most High and Most Powerful Prince King of the Two Sicilies, My Good Brother and Cousin
In 1831, with his father's abdication of the throne, D. Pedro II began to be prepared to take over the empire, which occurred in 1840 with the so-called Coup of Majority, which made the 14-year-old Prince the new Emperor of Brazil. Since the Regency Period (1831 - 1840) was marked by great political instability, great expectations were born in the figure of the emperor, as a symbol of the unity of the nation. On July 23, 1840, a crowd of thousands of people - the common people, nobles, and military - gathered to witness his oath of office in the Senate chamber, which provoked a feeling of euphoria, liberation, and renewal among Brazilians.
Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies (1810 - 1859) was a first cousin of Dom Pedro II, since Ferdinand II's mother, Princess Maria Carolina of Austria, was the sister of Dom Pedro II's mother, Princess Maria Leopoldina (both were daughters of Francis I, Emperor of Austria). The title "brother" in the letter is intended to be fraternal. Ferdinand II reigned for a long time with wisdom and moderation, but gradually became an isolated absolutist monarch from 1847 onwards, after a series of internal revolts that he forcefully repressed. In 1843, Pedro II married Teresa Cristina, princess of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, and sister of Ferdinand II, by proxy in Italy.
The most well-known figure in Brazilian history, Dom Pedro II is naturally highly coveted by collectors, especially when the objects or documents have interesting content, date or detail. This is the case of this letter, written by a teenage Dom Pedro II, less than a month after receiving the power from the Assembly to govern the country, after nine years of regency. Another interesting fact is that the recipient, Ferdinand II, King of the Two Sicilies, is the brother of Dom Pedro II's future wife and Empress of Brazil, Dona Teresa Cristina. The perfect state of conservation of the paper, ink and wonderful seal adds even more value to this exceptional document.
