ABSTRACT
Biography of “great characters” has become a historiographical challenge since the emergence of the so-called New Political History. The theoretical-methodological possibilities available today offer reflections from the complexity of individual-society relationships, breaking with a linear narrative that neglects the choices made by an individual. This paper investigates the private correspondence of D. Rodrigo de Souza Coutinho, written between 1778 and 1796, kept in the Condes de Linhares Collection of the Arquivo Nacional da Torre do Tombo. Some of the interpretations about this central character of the Portuguese administration at the end of the 18th century are questioned: was he in fact prepared by the marquis of Pombal to assume his notable positions? Does the image of “visionary genius” match his career trajectory? This analysis problematizes the vicissitudes experienced by D. Rodrigo and his family in the dispute for the main ranks of the monarchy, allowing the deconstruction of the myth surrounding the character.
Keywords:
D. Rodrigo de Souza Coutinho; private correspondence; biography; enlightened reformism; social networks