Abstract:
The article focuses on aspects of the biography of Domitila de Castro Canto e Melo, especially her relationship with power, developed from the condition of lover of the emperor Pedro I, registered in the letters exchanged between the writers from 1822 to 1829, until her long life after leaving the Court. The methodological procedures refer to a bibliographical research, particularly in dialogue with authors who have studied the recomposition of the marchioness’s life and others who analyzed the situation of women and their possibilities in the nineteenth century. It is concluded that the marquise de Santos, unlike most women of her time and context, had a predilection for politics, influencing the emperor while occupying the place of "favorite", as well as remaining involved in political and party affairs already in her definitive residence in the Province of São Paulo.
Keywords:
Marquise de Santos; Emperor Pedro I; Female condition; Power relations