Last Saturday, March 29th, the presentation of the latest book by Maria Marta Lobo de Araújo, Associate Professor with tenure in the History Department of the University of Minho and integrated researcher at Lab2PT/IN2PAST, entitled The Viscount of São Lázaro and the Palácio do Raio – Modernity and progress in Braga in the second half of the 19th century, took place.
The presentation of the work was carried out by Professor Jorge Alves (FLUP/CITCEM) and included the intervention of Bernardo Reis, Provider of the Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Braga.

 

The book invites the reader to meet Miguel José Raio, the future Viscount of São Lázaro (title acquired in 1870), in the city of Braga, but also in Pará, Brazil, in the second half of the 19th century. This “Brazilian” who returned from abroad chose his hometown to demonstrate all his wealth and express his power, acquiring the Raio Palace, where he lived with his children and brothers, transforming it into a place of attraction for the elites of the city and region. Despite being based in Braga, a place where he would acquire great prominence, the Viscount of São Lázaro maintains strong ties with Pará, where he maintains business and where he travels frequently, although he also travels to Europe for leisure trips.
It is this source of income that makes him intervene in many sectors of social, agricultural, financial, political, religious and welfare life in Braga, which, in fact, was already happening in Pará.
He died unexpectedly, without a will, single and with many debts to the Banco do Minho, which led to the palace being transferred to the control of the aforementioned financial institution. The “empire” he had built also ended up collapsing with the closure of the Pará firm, of which he was a partner, as it was facing serious problems, but not bankrupt.

Text: Colibri Editions