Many people are unaware, but Dom Pedro I suffered from epilepsy – a condition that temporarily alters brain function, reversible, not caused by fever, drugs, or metabolic disorders. During the marriage process of the emperor with Dona Leopoldina, even the Austrians knew about Dom Pedro’s epilepsy, a condition that he, his parents, and siblings suffered from, and one that the Braganza family never had any intention of hiding.
D. Pedro – The Untold Story: The Man Revealed by Unpublished Letters and Documents is a book by Paulo Rezzutti that offers a unique and detailed insight into the life of Emperor D. Pedro I of Brazil. The author uses unpublished letters and documents to reveal lesser-known and often overlooked aspects of D. Pedro’s personal and political life. Rezzutti investigates the emperor’s personal correspondence, providing insight into his relationships, emotions, and motivations.
The Independence of Brazil, one of the most significant chapters in the country’s history, was a multifaceted process that involved a variety of characters, events, and circumstances. While many iconic names, like Dom Pedro I and José Bonifácio, played a crucial role in this endeavor, the contribution of women in the fight for independence often goes unnoticed.
Dom Pedro I, the first monarch of the Empire of Brazil, was born in Lisbon in 1798 as the fourth child of King Dom João VI and Queen Carlota Joaquina. When French troops invaded Portugal, the royal family fled to Brazil in 1808. Dom Pedro I became the prince regent of Brazil and faced challenges, including threats from revolutionaries and insubordinate Portuguese troops. With the Liberal Revolution of Porto in 1820, Dom João VI returned to Portugal in 1821, leaving Dom Pedro as the regent of Brazil. Faced with Portugal’s attempt to revoke Brazil’s political autonomy, Dom Pedro I proclaimed Brazil’s independence on September 7, 1822. He died in Lisbon in 1834.
In 1886, during the final years of the Monarchy, the painter from Paraíba, Pedro Américo, was commissioned by the imperial government to create a painting depicting the events that led to the foundation of the Brazilian Empire by Emperor Dom Pedro I in 1822.
The First Emperor of Brazil, Dom Pedro I, had a highly refined musical education, as was customary among the Bragança family. Among his teachers were Marcos Portugal and Sigismund Neukomm. He played the bugle, flute, violin, bassoon, trombone, and harpsichord.
Following Brazil’s declaration of independence, the country was focused on creating its first constitution. In 1823, one year after the separation from the Kingdom of Portugal, a constituent assembly was formed, but it had a highly interventionist nature and envisaged significant state involvement, contrary to the ideals of Dom Pedro I. For this reason, the emperor dissolved the constituent assembly and personally issued a new constitution, promulgated on March 25, 1824.
