Sobre livros e dedicatórias: D. João e a Casa Literária do Arco do Cego (1799-1801)

Abstract

This article tries to understand the importance given to writing and its media during the Portuguese Ancien Régime (particularly the 18th century) and to grasp the ways in which writing changed social interactions, ways of thinking and power relationships. The specifi c approach of this study lies in the choice of source documents: the dedications found on the fi rst pages of the books published at the Arco do Cego print shop. The analysis of these texts allows us to perceive quite a lot about the Portuguese political culture in the 18th century, opening up possibilities to understand the apparently contradictory relationship between the construction of the modern state and the client networks based on gift and favor. © 2013 by Unisinos.