Processos metalúrgicos como forma de controle dos descaminhos do ouro praticados em Vila Rica (1770-1807): as devassas na punição aos acusados

Abstract

For a long time, the extraction of gold in the captaincy of Minas Gerais had made a profit for the Portuguese Crown. This occurred after the discovery of the first deposits, at the end of the 17th century, in Vila Rica and in several other places in the territory of Minas Gerais. By the end of the18th century, however, the production of gold was in ruin, and nothing else was removed from it. In this way, the Portuguese government begins to plan several actions to increase the tax collection of the fifth, forcing the miners to extract more gold even with the difficulties related to the decay of the deposits. In addition, the Portuguese adopted measures to prevent the crimes of deviations practiced in the regions of gold extraction, such as Vila Rica, in different practices: misappropriation, frauds, falsification of metal and its products fused in the Mints and Foundry. A resource used to curb these practices was the opening of investigation that were adopted in the Kingdom of Portugal to investigate the denunciation of a crime and then apply the punishment to the accused. This, thesis, in this context, specifically, analyzes an auto of investigation of the deviation of gold and diamonds conducted by the Intendant of the Royal Foundry, Jozé Caetano Cezar Manitti, in Vila Rica, in 1792. The research used as an investigation method to analyze issues related to the metallurgical processes of gold purification and testing. With the analysis of other documents, it was noticed that the Portuguese Crown had experienced officers, long years in the profession, with the knowledge of chemical substances to avoid excessive expenses in the purification of gold, essential in the control of the deviations