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CENTRE for LATIN AMERICAN
RESEARCH and DOCUMENTATION
CENTRE for LATIN AMERICAN
RESEARCH and DOCUMENTATION
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CENTRE for LATIN AMERICAN
RESEARCH and DOCUMENTATION
CEDLA LECTURE 14 November 2025
From massacre to miracle: Romani presence and the making of a pilgrimage site in Piaui, Brazil
In a small rural community in Piauí, northern Brazil, a chapel dedicated to Ciganinho Milagroso (the Miraculous Little Gypsy Boy) stands beside an old courbaril tree. Local memories and archival sources trace the origins of this site to a tragic event over a century ago, when police forces and hired gunmen massacred a group of Romani people passing through the region.
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This presentation explored how memories of inter-ethnic violence, guilt, and sanctification have become intertwined over time, revealing how the Romani presence has been both remembered and absorbed into local religious imagination.
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