On September 7 this year, Brazil will celebrate the 200th anniversary of its independence. According to foreign media reports, to celebrate this grand ceremony, on Monday (August 22), Brazil made a special trip from Portugal to welcome back the heart of Emperor Pedro I (Dom Pedro I), which had been preserved in formalin for nearly two centuries- 200 years ago, it was Pedro I who declared Brazil’s independence.
As a highly respected king of Brazil and Portugal, after the death of Pedro I, his body was preserved in two parts, the heart was placed as a relic in a church in Porto, Portugal, and the rest was displayed in Sao Paulo, Brazil Inside an Independence Monument. At present, the Portuguese side has agreed to lend the heart of Pedro I to celebrate the celebration of Brazil’s independence.
The golden urn that holds the heart of Pedro I
The “Emperor’s Heart” was kept in a glass jar inside a golden urn, which weighed 9 kilograms and arrived in Sao Paulo with the pomp of a state visit. Alan Coelho, director of protocol at Brazil’s foreign ministry, explained: “It will be treated like a state visit by a foreign leader, and we see it as if we felt that Pedro I was still there. Live and be with us.”
In 1807, Napoleon’s army invaded Portugal, and 9-year-old Pedro I fled with his family to the country’s colony, Brazil. In 1821, his father, King Joao VI, returned to his increasingly unstable country, while Pedro I remained in Brazil, ruling the colony as regent. Although Brazil is a Portuguese colony, it has always been highly autonomous. On September 7, 1822, in the face of tremendous pressure from the Brazilian independence movement, Pedro I declared Brazil an independent country and became its first emperor.
Pedro I
But not long after he helped Brazil break free from Portuguese rule and establish a constitutional system, turbulent news from across the Atlantic forced him to return to Portugal, where his younger brother usurped the throne and attempted to restore Portugal from constitutional government to absolute monarchy. In 1831, Pedro I abdicated and returned to Portugal, leading his army into Porto in support of the constitutionalists, a struggle that was ultimately won. When Pedro I (known in Portugal as Pedro IV) died of tuberculosis in 1834, he was hailed in both Brazil and Portugal as a devoted fighter for liberal causes and representative democracy. At his own request, his heart was removed from his body after his death and kept in Porto as a thank you to the local people for supporting his cause.
Brazilian Defense Minister Paulo Sérgio Nogueira said at a welcoming ceremony at the capital Brasilia Air Force Base: “Today, the heart of our national hero, the founding emperor of Brazil, finally returns home. This important relic demonstrates his courage, passion and unparalleled strength.”
The heart’s “foreign affairs visit” schedule is busy. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro will hold an official reception ceremony for him on Tuesday (August 23) with military ceremonies, after which the golden urn containing the emperor’s heart will be on display for 17 days at the headquarters of Brazil’s foreign ministry. In October this year, Brazil will hold a presidential election, and Bolsonaro will run for re-election. Critics have questioned Bolsonaro’s “heart frenzy”, saying it stoked nationalist sentiment in the name of celebration. Meanwhile, Bolsonaro is also planning a major military parade on Independence Day.
Historian Lilia Schwarcz, an expert on the history of Brazil’s independence, commented on the matter: “This is a farce from Bolsonaro, who really treats this heart as a guest of honor. We should reflect on how this is to treat history – and it is a history that is old and rotten, like the organs of a dead emperor.”
“Since the process of our country’s independence began with the Napoleonic invasion, I suggest that they also bring Bonaparte’s penis (as an offering),” quipped historian Luiz Antônio Simas.
On weekdays, the emperor’s heart is kept in the Church of Our Lady of Lapa in Porto, Portugal, with five locks to prevent theft and damage. During the heart’s visit to Brazil, Portugal sent a police officer to accompany the security, and then it is expected to return to Portugal on September 8.
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