ABSTRACT
This paper intends to study the life and thoughts of Francisco Barbosa, who was born in the middle of the 16th century, in the midst of a peasantry family, in the rural areas of northern Portugal. He visited several continents having many different occupations, from Portugal to Brazil, passing through Africa and Flanders. At a certain stage in his life, he ended up dedicating himself to the Jacobean pilgrimage. His life path was determined by two fundamental vectors: religion and empire. Under the pretext of studying Barbosa’s existence, it is our aim to unveil aspects connected to the worldview of popular social strata, more specifically those of peasant families, which are usually understated by historiography in detriment of elites or institutions.
Keywords:
History; empire; pilgrims; religion; Modern Period