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Domitila, Marchioness of Santos
*** Shopping-Tip: Domitila, Marchioness of Santos
'''Domitila de Castro Canto e Melo Santos''',
Viscountess, then
Marchioness of
Santos (São Paulo) Santos ( 1797 – id. 1867) was a
Brazilian
Nobility noblewoman and the long-term mistress and favorite of
Peter I of Brazil Emperor Pedro I of Brazil.
The
Regency Regent of Brazil first met D. Domitila (who was born in
São Paulo) in 1822 during his travel through São Paulo which would lead to the Brazilian independence. She was married to Felício Muniz, a military officer of low rank. Crowned
emperor, Pedro I invited her to move to
Rio de Janeiro and offered her an office at the Court, placing her at the Empress's entourage as her lady in waiting. There she managed to have her first marriage nullified.
The emperor proved himself very generous when it came to honour his favourite and her family as well. Bestowing on her the title of Viscountness of Santos was a slap in the face of the family of
José Bonifácio, the patriarch of the independence and the most eminent people of the city of
Santos (São Paulo) |Santos, SP. He also did not hesitate in bestowing titles on their three daughters (the Duchesses of Goiás and Ceará and the Dountess of Iguaçu) and insisting on them being educated with the royal princesses. The Marchioness' sister was made
Baron Baroness of
Sorocaba and eventually joined the extensive roll of royal mistresses bearing him a child.
Maria Leopoldina, Archduchess of Austria D. Leopoldina, the empress, died in 1826 due to complications caused by an abortion. The public opinion held the Marchioness responsible for the grievances and humiliations put through by the first.
Since marrying D. Domitila was not an option, Peter sent an ambassador to
Europe to find him a new wife. His reputation as a bad husband made the Baron of
Barbacena's errand very difficult though. Not only was Peter a womanizer and rather poor, but the
South American emperor was also said to be violent according to rumours arisen after the dramatic death of D. Leopoldina.
In 1829, when Peter married for the second time the young
Bavarian princess
Amélie de Beauharnais von Leuchtenberg, granddaughter of the
Empress Josephine, D. Domitila was dismissed, returning to São Paulo. There she married again the brigadier Rafael Tobias de Aguiar.
{{BrazImpFam}}
Category:Brazilian monarchs Pedro 1
Category:History of Brazil
