Yellowed manuscripts, books, journals and other critical archival materials that document the life of a controversial Brazilian priest are being exhibited on the second floor of George A. Smathers Library.
The collection, donated by Ralph della Cava - historian and anthropologist - will become a permanent part of the library's Latin American Collection.
Della Cava's documents encompass the life of Padre Cicero Romao Batista (1844-1934) and the popular religious movement he inspired. He was a Roman Catholic priest in Brazil who was defrocked by church authorities for allegedly performing blasphemous and heretical actions.
For the last century, both scholars and partisans have studied the controversial life of Padre Cicero.
"When I was in graduate school, I decided to do my dissertation on this controversial figure," della Cava said. "It is lucky when a man finds a topic that suits his personality, so in Brazil, I scoured the old bookshops and archives to get my hands on anything I could find."
The collection was put together over the course of 40 years and was officially presented to the UF Libraries this week. It will be on display throughout the remainder of the week.
