Intimidade, transgress o e privan a na dinamica dos afetos do Antigo Regime: o caso de António Conti, o príncipe dos favoritos de D. Afonso VI (1656-1662)

Around Antonio Maria Conti Vintimiglia – a strange and obscure Italian merchant who achieved to win the friendship and love of Afonso the 6th – the speculations are many, particularly, on the nature of the relation he has maintained with the king, along with his brother Joao Conti. By breaking the rules of the social relationship, that then moderate the hard social barriers on the Ancient Regime, such a connection gained strength throughout the king’s youth years. According to the coeval sources of the Afonsine misfortune, this connection was seen as illicit, which have provoked the great aristocracy of Restoration to be discontent. From an anonymous merchant of the chapel on Ribeira’s Palace, he quickly achieves the royal favours and graces. He receives this way the court of gentleman and becomes the king’s main favourite, by winning his heart and growing to be one of his most beloved and longed companions of leisure.