Portrait of Domingo Álvares

Born in the Mahi region and speaking the Gbe language, Domingos Álvares was brought to Brazil by traffickers based on the so-called “Slave Coast” of West Africa. Initially living in Pernambuco, he worked as a healer, being heir to his religious parents’ knowledge. Later on, he was sold to the city of Rio de Janeiro. In 1742, he was eventually arrested and sent to Portugal, accused of witchcraft by the envoys of the Portuguese Inquisition Tribunal.