Um aspirante a conselheiro imperial: Varnhagen nos bastidores da administração pública

Abstract

Francisco Adolfo de Varnhagen (1816-1878), the Viscount of Porto Seguro, was notable for his contributions to historiography, considered the “father of Brazilian history”. However, Varnhagen was not dedicated only to the domains of history and the field of letters. He belonged to the imperial bureaucracy, where he made a career as a diplomat, served on important commissions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was resident minister of the Empire in several countries. with whom he corresponded for decades. The analysis of Varnhagen's letters to the Emperor, as well as the monographs “Memory of Public Administration”, “Organic Memorial” and “The question of the capital: maritime or interior?” they show the Viscount's ambition to participate more effectively in the administration of the State, perhaps even as a kind of private adviser to the Emperor. This thesis aims to highlight some of the Viscount's initiatives that go beyond the dimensions of the diplomat's office and acting as a man of letters.