Notable things about Porto Seguro in the 16th century

the miracles of the Nossa Senhora d’Ajuda Fountain, in the work of Francisco Soares

Abstract

The following article presents the results of the analysis of the list of miracles present in the book “Coisas notables do Brasil” (1591), written by the Jesuit priest Francisco Soares. The list covers 30 cases of miracles that occurred after the use of miraculous water from the fountain at the Church of Nossa Senhora d'Ajuda, between 1552 and 1591. With the intention of examining the details of the reports, to extract information about the lives of Catholic patients of the century XVI, the work starts from a historiographical discussion regarding the list, going through the history of Arraial d'Ajuda in the first century of colonization, and then presenting a study on the life and work of Francisco Soares, author of the book and writer of the list. Having made the essential considerations for understanding the reports of miracles, a typological study was then carried out on the profile of the recipients, the illnesses cured, the way in which the miracle medicine of Arraial d'Ajuda was applied and the waiting time until the cure, to understand precisely the relationship between the colonists and the miraculous source. From the data collected, it was possible to conclude, at the end of the article, that Francisco Soares was concerned with the systematization and heterogenization of reports of miracles on the list, possibly indicating the interest in making official, institutionally and/or socially, the “Source of Our Lady” as a “place of miracles”, and spread devotion to Our Lady of Help in the New World.