Slavery on the frontier: the report of a French missionary on mid-seventeenth-century Tunis
Date
2012Author
Forrestal, Alison
Roşu, Felicia
Metadata
Show full item recordUsage
This item's downloads: 244 (view details)
Recommended Citation
Forrestal, Alison, & Roşu, Felicia. (2012). Slavery on the Frontier. Reformation & Renaissance Review, 14(2), 170-211. doi: 10.1179/1462245913Z.00000000013
Published Version
Abstract
This document is a report sent in 1654 by Jean Le Vacher, member of the Congregation of the Mission, vicar apostolic of the Holy See and acting French consul in Tunis, to the cardinals of the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, in Rome. It describe his missionary work in and around Tunis. Le Vacher’s letter focuses on the life and conditions of the Christian slaves (mostly Catholic, but Protestant too) in the region and on his efforts to provide spiritual and material assistance to them. It offers insights into early modern slavery in North Africa, the efforts of the Catholic Church to strengthen its presence in the area, and the culture and organisation of societies on the border between Islam and Christianity. This presentation includes the full text of Le Vacher’s report in the original Italian and in English translation, together with an introduction, commentary, and editorial notes.