«Con lágrimas de nuestros corazones». El rescate de cautivos en una redención mercedaria del siglo XVIII = The Order of Mercy and the Ransoming of Captives. Stakeholders and Economic Dynamics in a 18th Century Redemption

El presente articulo se enmarca en el dinamico debate sobre la esclavitud y el comercio de cautivos en el Mediterraneo de la epoca moderna. Apresados por los corsarios, miles de esclavos cristianos eran llevados a tierra de Islam y viceversa, empleados en trabajos forzosos, como remeros en las galeras, vendidos a particulares o bien eran destinados al rescate: en este caso, mercaderes especializados, institutos caritativos u ordenes religiosas se encargaban de recaudar dinero para conseguir su rescate. En los reinos de la Monarquia iberica, esta tarea era desempenada –y casi monopolizada– por las ordenes de la Santisima Trinidad y de Nuestra Senora de la Merced. En el presente ensayo se analiza en particular la actividad redentora de los Mercedarios, su labor de rescate de cautivos, la financiacion y desarrollo practico de las misiones de redencion, entre logros y fracasos, mediante el analisis de un ejemplo concreto: una redencion de cautivos efectuada por los frailes de la Merced en la ciudad de Argel a principio del siglo XVIII. Abstract This article joins the general and dynamic debate upon slavery and captives’ trade in the Early Modern Mediterranean. Captured by corsairs, thousands of Christian slaves were taken to Islamic territories and vice-versa, employed in forced labour, as rowers in the galleys, sold to private slave-owners or destined to be rescued as well: in this case, specialized merchants, charity institutes or religious Orders were put in charge of collecting money to pay their ransom. In the reigns of the Iberian Monarchy, this task was carried out and almost monopolized by the religious orders of the Saint Trinity and Our Lady of Mercy. The present essay analyses in particular the redemptive activity of the Mercedarians, their work in the rescue of captives, the financing and practical development of redemption missions, made up of both achievements and failures, thanks to the analysis of a concrete example: the specific case-study is a redemption of captives carried out by the friars of Mercy in Algiers at the beginning of the 18th century.