Dom Luís da Cunha e a centralidade das minas auríferas brasileiras

Abstract

Dom Luís da Cunha was an important figure in the establishment of Portugal's internal and external policy in the first half of the 18th century, under the reign of Dom João V. While serving the Crown, Dom Luis spent almost all of his life abroad, working as ambassador in the great courts in Europe and participated, directly or indirectly, in the principal diplomatic agreements of his time. Educated at Coimbra and trained in law, Cunha came to be a critical observer of Portuguese and European affairs, and he even-tually advocated a major transformation in Portugal's role within Europe, as well as its situation vis-à-vis those overseas territories under Portuguese dominion, including, and especially, Brazil. His advice, however, not only transcended space but extended across time as well and among several subjects he suggests the importance of Brazil's products to the Portuguese economy. For Luís da Cunha, the establishment of a political program for Portuguese America was inseparable from a deeper geographical understanding of the region. Toward this end, he participated both directly and indirectly toward the produc-tion of more precise maps of the region and establish a collaboration with Jean-Baptiste Bourguignon d'Anville to produce the Carte de l'Amérique méridionale.